Cardiovascular exercise that increases heart rate and breathing to improve the efficiency of the heart, lungs, and circulatory system. Common forms include running, cycling, and swimming.
Shortened from 'cardiovascular,' from Greek 'kardia' (heart) + Latin 'vasculum' (small vessel). The term became popular in fitness contexts in the 1980s during the aerobics boom.
The term 'cardio' revolutionized how people think about exercise - before the 1980s, most people just called it 'running' or 'cycling'! The aerobics craze led by Jane Fonda made cardiovascular training a household concept and launched the modern fitness industry.
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