ITS IMPOSSIBLE TO TALK about fitness and exercise without mentioning the heart and the cardiovascular system. Aerobic exercise(exercise that gets your heart pumping and your blood moving) is one of the best ways to improve cardiovascular health. Since heart disease claims many lives each year, improving your heart health can help you lead a long, healthy life.
The heart itself as the “center” of the cardiovascular system. It is a mascular, fist-sized organ that lies in the center of your chest. Both the right and left sides have upper chambers (atria), which collect blood, and lower chambers(ventricles0,
which eject blood. The heart collects oxygen depleted blood and pumps it into the lungs, where blood picks up oxygen and drops off carbon dioxide. The heart also pumps oxygen rich blood to all the body’s organs and cells.
HOW THE BLOOD GETS AROUND
Blood travels throughout the body via a complex system of blood vessels. Arteries carry blood away from the heart. They are small and strong and bear the highest blood pressure. Veins carry blood to the heart. They are a little large in diameter than arteries, and carry the same amount of blood but at a slower speed. Capillaries are hairlike vessels that distribute blood to outlying areas.
Since every bodily organ thrives on oxygen, maintaining a strong heart is crucial to overall health.
