To achieve optimum health, you need to establish healthy habits in three areas. Professionals refer to these as the legs of a three-legged stool and they include nutrition, muscle development, and cardiovascular, or heart, health. These top five cardio workouts for women will help you tackle one leg of that stool.

Cardio workouts exercise your heart and improve the flow of oxygen throughout the body. Women who exercise their hearts through cardio routines have a better chance of fighting heart disease than those who don’t. The good news is that there’s sure to be some form of aerobic exercise that appeals to each woman. The top five choices are:

1. Circuit resistance training – using both hand weights or other resistance based training while moving quickly from one set of exercises to another.
2. Jumping rope – certainly not a low impact workout but so very effective at getting that heart pumping harder.
3. Running – a great exercise for outdoors or indoors on a treadmill.
4. Kickboxing or some form of Dance – remember when Tae Bo was all the rage? There was a really good reason. It’s fun, unique and has great cardio benefits.
5. Hiking – take the walk outdoors and up and down a few trails and you’ll not only be working your heart but also improving the strength in a number of muscle groups.

According to the American Heart Associations most recent statistics on cardiovascular disease, CVD was responsible for 1 of every 2.9 deaths in the United States during 2006. That’s an astounding figure. Women can fight that trend by incorporating a regular cardio workout in their exercise regimen now.

While the routines listed above may provide exceptional benefits, any form of exercise that gets your arms pumping and your legs moving consistently and raises your heart rate counts as cardio exercise. Doing housework quickly, pushing a stroller for a fast-paced walk, or doing laps in the pool all have positive effects.

Take the time today to find cardio workouts for women that appeal to you, your lifestyle, and your abilities and begin a regular routine. Learn more about nutrition if diet has been a challenge for you. Gather your notes in a notebook, read the advice of experts in the field of fitness and health and build a plan for yourself. There’s no time like the present.