I went to a cardiologist a few weeks ago because my regular doctor was doing a poor job getting my blood pressure down.
The good news is that my blood pressure is down on new meds. It went from 150 / 95 to 100 / 70. Yeah!
The bad news is that he had me take a stress test and wants me to get more cardiovascular exercise. I work out now with weights, walking and an recumbent exercise bike.
Any suggestions about how to vamp up my exercise routine?
Thanks!
Chiming in not because I have any advice but because I was just about to ask a similar question. I exercise 2 - 3 times a week also for cardio. I’ve heard that any activity that gets your heart rate up is good for you. I generally these days use the rowing machine, which really gets it up there, then an elliptical treadmill (I have bad knees and cannot do regular treadmills) and finish up with the bike. So I’m going from hardest to easiest, since I think I would not be able to do the rowing machine at the end of my session, when I’m tired. My question is whether I’d be getting better cardio if I did things in a different order, or if it really doesn’t matter.
I can’t see why one method of increasing your heart rate would be better or worse than any other method of increasing your heart rate. I would suggest doing something fun that you’re more likely to stick with, like tennis or soccer, or even just jogging on a treadmill while you’re watching the Office or listening to your iPod.
I’m not an expert.