Just as you would with any other muscle, you need to stress and stretch your heart if you want its capacity to increase, Dr. Joyner explains. That means two or three times a week, you’ll want to do this: Using a bike, treadmill, rower, or other cardio equipment, work out at 90 percent effort for two to five minutes. You should be working hard, at a pace you can’t hold for more than two to five minutes, “but not be so exhausted you have to bend over,” he says. Then take three to four minutes to rest or work out at a very easy level. Repeat this whole sequence (hard sections plus rest sections) three or four times.
See How You Stack Up
DISCOVER THE AVERAGE VO2 max for men at low, above average, and high fitness levels. Men at the highest fitness level have the lowest risk of dying early, but even just getting yourself out of the low category can reduce your risk dramatically.
Leave a Reply