If you can believe it, the mind can achieve it. Ronnie Lott

Working on your cardio is the key to last longer in a sparring match (or a war in a competition). We all know how daunting it is to roll for 5 minutes, but imagine those who gets into championship matches, and invitational matches such as the Copa Podio in Brazil, or the Metamoris Pro.

You guessed it. These matches last from 15 minutes to 20 minutes. You may wonder pros do it; how they are able to last these minutes defending and attacking. Imagine the amount of stress it puts on their bodies. This is where cardio comes in.

You’ll notice how everyone calls it the gas tank. Cardio is the key game changer. The thing that separates the well-trained from the procrastinators. Your cardio says a lot of about an athlete.

Do you know how to count your optimum heartbeat to have a good cardio?

Getting the most of that 30 minute cardio session on the treadmill is easy. Although, we would first suggest that you consult your physician and get yourself checked first; just making sure that you don’t have any heart diseases that can aggravate by doing cardio.

Getting your maximum heartbeat is useful in improving your cardiovascular capacity.

Although there are different ways to calculate your heart beat, here’s a method that I have always found the easiest (it involves basic math and less algorithm. Some methods uses both but yield the same calculation).

First is, Subtract 220 with your AGE

Ex. 220 – 31 = 189

Second, factor in your age by 0.67

Ex. 31*0.67 = 20.77

Deduct the Difference

168.23

More information from http://www.builtlean.com/2010/05/25/how-to-calculate-your-max-heart-rate/

  

Keeping your heart healthy

There are foods that help keep the muscles of the heart healthy. If are 25 years old, and if your heart beats at around 70-80 beats per minute, you heart has actually pumped almost 1 billion times in your lifetime. That’s also about 5 million liters of blood in 25 years.

So keep your heart healthy, we strongly suggest that you load up on fish high in Omega 3. These enzymes have been scientifically proven to keep the heart healthy. Deep see cod fish also works wonders for your heart.

Feeling happy and having a positive outlook in life also keeps the heart healthy. Studies show that laughing and occasionally having a hearty conversation with friends and family can reduce the risk of heart diseases by as much as 30%!

You may also read recent studies about heart diseases and how laughter can reduce it.

http://umm.edu/news-and-events/news-releases/2009/laughter-is-the-best-medicine-for-your-heart

 

Gracie Barra is committed in spreading great habits and lifestyle changes. Jiu-Jitsu is for everyone. And your heart is where core of Jiu-Jitsu lies: literally and figuratively