WAYS TO IMPROVE CARDIORESPIRATORY ENDURANCE

By improving cardiorespiratory endurance, you will be increasing the ability of your heart and lungs to supply oxygen and nutrients to working muscles. Enhancing your cardiorespiratory endurance increases cardiac stroke volume, which is the amount of blood that your heart pumps with each beat. Your breaths deepen and become more efficient as the number of air-capturing alveoli in your lungs increases. More oxygen reaches your blood with each breath as the size and number of alveolar capillaries increases with cardiorespiratory training.

EARLY CONDITIONING
Aerobic activities offer various ways to improve cardiorespiratory endurance. Perform 15 minutes of aerobic activity three to five days per week for four to six weeks during early stages of cardiorespiratory training. The intensity of your activity should bring your pulse within 60 to 70 percent of your maximum heart rate. Determine your maximum heart rate by subtracting your age from 220, if you are a man. Subtract 88 percent of your age from 206, if you are a woman.

DURATION
Extending the duration of aerobic exercise sessions is among the primary ways to improve cardiorespiratory endurance. Starting with 15-minute sessions, increase the duration of your workouts every two weeks until you reach 60 minutes. The National Federation of Personal Trainers recommends performing activity within a lower target heart rate zone for six months before increasing the intensity of activity. Keep the intensity of your aerobic exercise sessions within 60 to 70 percent of your maximum heart rate and complete at least three sessions per week.

ADVANCED IMPROVEMENT
Advanced ways to improve your cardiorespiratory endurance involve activities that bring your pulse into a higher target heart rate zone. You can improve your cardiorespiratory endurance by performing 20-minute exercise sessions that bring your pulse closer to 85 percent of your max HR three times per week. Extend your exercise session closer to 30 minutes and up to five times per week, when the intensity brings your pulse within 70 and 80 percent of your max HR.

ACTIVITIES
A variety of continuous activities that involve rhythmic body movements offer multiple ways to improve your cardiorespiratory endurance. Walking and jogging are appropriate for early conditioning at lower intensities. Running can bring your heart rate into the advanced improvement zone. Cycling and swimming are higher intensity activities that might accommodate longer exercise sessions by relieving pressure from your joints. Rowing and jumping rope are particularly high-intensity activities that are appropriate for shorter cardiorespiratory training sessions.