Cardiovascular Endurance- Aerobic Capacity

What is it?

Cardiovascular endurance is the ability of the heart and lungs to fuel the body with oxygen-rich blood. 

Why is it important?

Having a higher aerobic capacity can increase the amount of blood and force the heart to pump each contraction, increase the overall volume of air you can take in each breath, lower your heart rate, and lower your breathing rate. All of these benefits will lead to a quicker recovery time during training, which will allow for more quality training runs throughout the day. A high aerobic capacity will also aid in longer and healthier life. 

How to improve it?

Some exercises and activities to improve cardiovascular endurance include running, hiking, biking, intervals, soccer, basketball, rugby, and hockey. 

Tip!

If you are doing longer workouts or activities with a sustained high heart rate and breathing rate for an extended period of time (>30min), aerobic capacity is likely to increase.

Matt Voegtle
Snowboard Program Director