How to Improve Cardiovascular Fitness

Co-authored by Pete Cerqua

Last Updated: October 10, 2022 References

Cardiovascular fitness refers to your body’s ability to take in and use oxygen. Any type of activity that requires sustained exercise like walking, jogging, running, biking, and swimming is a cardio activity. When you improve your cardiovascular fitness, not only can you do these types of activities for longer periods of time and more easily, but you lower your risks of certain types of health problems like heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and more.

Here are 10 different ways you can boost your cardio fitness.

1

Do 30 minutes of cardio 5 times a week.

This is the recommended amount of activity to improve your cardio fitness. Start with this as your goal, but don’t force it if you’re not used to working out a lot. If it’s too hard at first to do this much cardio activity, ease into it by doing 30 minutes of activities 3 days a week instead.^{[1]
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- It’s hard to improve your cardiovascular fitness if you workout any less than 3 times a week. For example, if you do 30 minutes of cardio activity only twice a week, you are most likely just maintaining your current level of fitness.

2

Pick cardio activities you enjoy.

It’s easier to stick to an exercise routine if you enjoy your workouts. Select activities that match your lifestyle, personal preferences, and current fitness level. If you have any previous injuries, choose activities that you can do without hurting yourself.
- Examples of cardio activities are brisk walking, jogging, running, swimming, cycling, aerobics, playing tennis, hiking, stair climbing, rowing, and jumping rope.
- For example, if you haven’t worked out in years, it’s probably easier to start your new cardio fitness routine with something like brisk walking than it is by attempting to hike up a steep mountain right away.

3

Do a variety of cardio activities.

This helps prevent excessive joint and muscle stress. Incorporate at least 2-3 different cardio activities that use different muscles and movements into your new fitness routine to avoid pain. Choose 1 activity that mainly uses your legs and 1 activity that uses more of your upper body, for example.^{[2]
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- For instance, you could choose to run on some days and swim on others.
- If you have arthritis, aquatic activities like aquatic aerobics and swimming are good choices because they don’t stress your joints.^{[3]
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4

Switch between high- and low-impact activities.

This allows your muscles to recover and prevents injuries. Do a high-impact activity like running 1 day, then do a low-impact cardio exercise like swimming the next time you work out. That way, you’re giving your knees, feet, and hips a break from pounding on the pavement.^{[4]
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- Other low-impact cardio activities are cycling, rowing, and rollerblading.
- Other high-impact cardio exercises are jogging, jumping jacks, and jump rope.

5

Start your workouts with a gentle warm up.

Warming up loosens your joints and gets your blood flowing. Do your chosen activity at a low intensity for about 5-10 minutes or longer before you start really pushing yourself. Gradually increase the intensity until you’re working out at your target intensity.^{[5]
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- For example, if you’re going on a run, start out at a slow jogging pace for 5 minutes, then gradually speed up for the next 5 minutes until you’re fully running.

6

Work out hard enough to challenge yourself.

You have to challenge yourself to actually improve your cardio. Work out hard enough that you feel your heart rate rise and that you feel the activity is difficult to do. Don’t push yourself so hard that you feel completely exhausted, though.^{[6]
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- You can wear a heart rate monitor or use a cardio machine like an elliptical machine that tells you your heart rate to make sure you’re working out in the aerobic zone.

7

Do high-intensity interval training 2-3 times a week.

High-intensity interval workouts are a great way to quickly boost your cardio. For example, run, bike, row, or swim as fast as you can for 30 seconds, then do the activity at an easy pace for 30 seconds. Repeat the exercise in 30-second intervals of easy and hard paces for the duration of your workout.^{[7]
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- When 30-second intervals become too easy, step up the intervals to 60 seconds.
- You can also do distance intervals instead of time intervals. For instance, run as fast as you can for 1 lap around a track, then jog 1 lap slowly at an easy pace and repeat.

8

Increase the difficulty of workouts weekly.

This is how you know you’re improving your cardio fitness. Try to gradually increase the amount of time or distance you run for by about 10-20% a week, for instance. Or, make your exercise harder in some way, such as by briskly walking up a hill instead of across flat ground.^{[8]
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- For example, if you only cycle for 20 minutes the first week of your new workout routine, try to cycle for 22-24 minutes the following week.

9

Take the stairs whenever possible.

This is a good way to add some cardio activity into your daily routine. Instead of taking the elevator at work, for example, walk up the stairs. Or, go up and down the stairs in your home a few times while you’re waiting for water to boil in the kitchen.^{[9]
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American Heart Association
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- Taking the stairs doesn’t have to count as an official cardio workout. Just think of it as a way to keep building your fitness whenever you have a chance.
- Stair machines at the gym are also a good way to improve your cardio by stair climbing if you do want to make it into an official workout.

10

Talk to a doctor if you have health problems.

A physician can make recommendations about exercise. This is especially important if you have heart problems or high blood pressure. Let the doctor know that you want to begin a new cardio fitness regime. Ask them if they have any recommendations or warnings for you based on your medical history.^{[10]
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- This is also important if you have any previous muscle, bone, or joint injuries. The doctor may recommend that you avoid certain types of activities, such as high-impact activities, for example.

Ways to Boost Your Fitness and Sample HIIT Workout

Ways to Boost Your Aerobic Fitness

Beginner HIIT Workout to Boost Aerobic Fitness

Expert Q&A
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Question

How long does it take for cardiovascular fitness to improve?

Pete Cerqua
Certified Personal Trainer & Nutritionist
Pete Cerqua is a Certified Personal Trainer and Nutritionist. Pete is also a five-time best-selling author of books including "The 90-Second Fitness Solution" and "High Intensity Fitness Revolution for Women/Men" published by Simon and Schuster and Skyhorse Publishing. Pete has over 20 years of personal training and nutrition coaching experience and operates the 90-Second Fitness flagship studio in New York City.

Pete Cerqua

Certified Personal Trainer & Nutritionist

Expert Answer

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It's all about staying consistent. Just get in the habit of getting some cardio in every other day or so, and you'll improve over time. Even if it's just 10-15 minutes at a time, you're going to get more fit.
Question

What is the best exercise to improve cardio?

Pete Cerqua
Certified Personal Trainer & Nutritionist
Pete Cerqua is a Certified Personal Trainer and Nutritionist. Pete is also a five-time best-selling author of books including "The 90-Second Fitness Solution" and "High Intensity Fitness Revolution for Women/Men" published by Simon and Schuster and Skyhorse Publishing. Pete has over 20 years of personal training and nutrition coaching experience and operates the 90-Second Fitness flagship studio in New York City.

Pete Cerqua

Certified Personal Trainer & Nutritionist

Expert Answer

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Just walk more often. Walking is actually really good for you. Even if you can just move around more often around the house, you'll improve your cardio.
Question

How can I get motivated to do cardio?

Pete Cerqua
Certified Personal Trainer & Nutritionist
Pete Cerqua is a Certified Personal Trainer and Nutritionist. Pete is also a five-time best-selling author of books including "The 90-Second Fitness Solution" and "High Intensity Fitness Revolution for Women/Men" published by Simon and Schuster and Skyhorse Publishing. Pete has over 20 years of personal training and nutrition coaching experience and operates the 90-Second Fitness flagship studio in New York City.

Pete Cerqua

Certified Personal Trainer & Nutritionist

Expert Answer

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Cardio should be fun! If you aren't having fun, you're doing it wrong. There are so many options when it comes to cardio: running, jumping rope, swimming, biking, etc. There's got to be at least one of those activities out there that appeals to you.