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You may have heard the term 'cardio exercise' many times, but do you know what cardio is really about? Reporting to Kompas.com, cardio is an abbreviation of cardiovascular, which is everything related to the heart and blood vessels, cardio exercise has the aim of increasing heart rate and improving blood flow. Cardio usually consists of activities such as walking, running, swimming, cycling, aerobics, to hiking.
Cardio exercises make you move and strengthen large muscles, including those in the heart. If this exercise is done regularly, your blood flow can be faster and beneficial to avoid the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart and stroke due to blockage of blood vessels. However, apart from that, there are also, you know, the benefits of cardiovascular exercise for our organs and other body parts. Anything, huh? Check it out below!
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1. Lungs
According to Jeremy Barnes, a professor at Southeast Missouri State University, cardio exercise can increase the body's ability to use oxygen efficiently. Cardio exercise can also accelerate the rate of fresh blood that contains lots of oxygen throughout the body. Of course, this will significantly help the performance of the lungs which are in charge of regulating oxygen levels, and help them more optimally in removing carbon dioxide from the body.
2. Brain
According to a study from the Academy of Neurology, people who do cardio regularly can complete cognitive tasks 25% better than those who don't exercise regularly. Cardio exercise can also improve the ability of the brain in terms of memory because cardio exercise increases the blood supply to the brain which will automatically increase the ability of the brain.
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3. Skin
When the blood flow in the body becomes smooth thanks to cardio exercise, this will also benefit your skin which will become healthy and glowing. Of course, this is what all women dream of, right? Smooth blood flow will also give the skin good nutrition and adequate oxygen intake.
4. Stomach
Lastly, cardio exercise will be very beneficial for those of you who want to lose weight. This means you have to burn more calories than you already take into your body. With this, you can lose weight, especially in the abdomen which can also avoid the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Still, have reasons not to exercise?