anyone explain to me, please?

To do a "Cardio" workout, means to exercise your "Cardio-respiratory" systems (your ability to maintain strong blood-flow and oxygen-flow to your muscles, including your heart muscle, under increased load). Aerobic means to exercise "in the presence of oxygen". Aerobic workout may be used to exercise your muscular endurance. If you push an Aerobic workout to your aerobic threshold, it also becomes a Cardio workout. Workouts that are primarily "continuous and repetitive muscle contraction" are usually aerobic, but not neccessarily cardio. Strength training is usually neither aerobic nor cardio. Strength training is usually considered "anaerobic" (in the absence of oxygen).

Hope that helps.....

J.

Please say that in english?

Ok.... so, they're one and the same, depending on how long you can keep your heart rate up. right? or wrong?

There are three general types of workouts: Muscular Strength Training, Muscular Endurance Training, and Cardio-Respiratory Training.

1) Muscular Strength Training is anaerobic and not a Cardio Workout.

2) Muscular Endurance Training is Aerobic and not a Cardio Workout, unless you exceed your Aerobic Threshold.

3) Cardio-Respiratory Training is always Aerobic and directly targets your Cardio Health.

In English:

1) Muscular Strength Training is never Cardio or Aerobic. It is Anaerobic.

2) Muscular Endurance Training (like walking, jogging, cycling) is aerobic (because your heart rate increases, thus increasing oxygen-flow), but will not affect your Cardio health unless you take on more aerobic load than you are capable of comfortably handling, thus adding a Cardio workout to your muscle endurance workout. I can run or bike for a very long time if I stay within my aerobic zone. If I push myself faster and faster, my workout becomes a Cardio Workout and I will exhaust myself sooner but will have improved my Cardio-Respiratory health.

3) A Cardio Workout doesn't have to involve building up your ability to sustain longer and longer endurance. It's just focused on your ability to deliver blood and oxygen under increased load.

Close enough to English?

Jeff

Jeff,
That was great!
Let me see if I got this straight:
If I'm working out on the treadmill and I:
Walk 3 miles at an easy pace, able to talk etc then I'm doing an Aerobic exercise.
Walk 1 mile at a more differcult pace, can't talk well then I'm doing Cardio?

Lessara,

You've got it right!

You could use your Aerobic exercise to build up your "endurance". Another time, you could use your Cardio exercise to build up your "cardio-respiratory" capacity.

Jeff

Jeff, that's a very helpful explanation!

So, I notice that since I started treadmilling, that I can walk as long as I want now, and even do inclines for the entire 35 mins without difficulty. TILL I start the incline at higher than 6 percent, then I start to really feel it in my--I guess--respiratory? Is this cardio when I have a little more difficulty catchin my breath? Not as comfortable pace as just walking or mild inclines under 6 percent?

I noticed when I started to ride a bicycle this weekend that I couldn't go farther an a block without GASPING for air! HA! And here I thought I was gonna be like Lance Armstrong and be able to ride for a mile with ease, just because I've been on the treadmill for 6 weeks?

So, I assume that over time, I will be able to better *take* more strenuous inclines and be able to breath easier over time as I build up my cardio-respiratory system?

And this is what helps my HEART to be healthier?

I don't dread walking anymore and can easily walk all day with no problems, but I don't think I could walk up stairs all day. Probably only a couple flights without really feeling it and breathing issues.

I am so out of shape when it comes to this apparently! I hope that this will improve in me soon!!!

Any input is appreciated! Have a blessed day! --Betty