9 Easy Exercises for a Healthy Heart
Did you know that keeping a healthy heart entails doing regular Aerobic exercises? Yes! Aerobic exercises are crucial to keep your heart beating properly and in preventing heart disease.
In order to optimize your heart health, the American Heart Association recommends that you get at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise per week or 75 minutes per week of vigorous aerobic exercise. Doctors recommend this to improve your heart’s fitness to reduce, if not prevent, your risk of heart disease. Don’t spend too much time sitting. Even light physical activities can offset a number of health risks due to a sedentary lifestyle.
Introducing the 9 best exercises that are proven to benefit your heart health. Don’t worry, you don’t have to do all 9 every day. Instead, try mixing up your exercises to make fun fitness programs every day!
Go For a Swim
Swimming, to say the least, is one of the best cardiovascular exercises there is. It is also regarded to be the third-most popular sports in the U.S. by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Two hours and 30 minutes of swimming a week is all that you need to actually get the heart health benefits of this fun exercise. Compared to the other aerobic exercises, the stress you get on your bones as well as your joints is far less in swimming. So if you have any joint condition like arthritis, you might want to try swimming.
Tone in the Pool
Aqua aerobics or water aerobics is a combination of strength and cardiovascular exercises which is carried out through water resistance. Like swimming, water aerobics gives your body a full workout. It’s a low impact exercise that is ideal for those suffering from arthritis, leg injuries, back problems and other foot or knee conditions. The reduced impact is also beneficial to pregnant women and the overweight.
Go Out for a Walk
Walking is probably the simplest and easiest amongst all aerobic exercises. But don’t underestimate the power of walking. Walking at least 20 minutes a day can have a positive impact not only on your heart health but on your overall health as well. This easy and convenient way of exercise is not just inexpensive, it’s also fun, safe and very likely to fit in your busy schedule.
Have Fun Biking
Pumping the anterior and posterior muscles of your legs is one of the greatest cardiovascular exercises there is because it will make you hit the ideal heart rate fast and it also improves your ability to do other exercises. Whether you go for a road bike or pedal on a stationary bike at home while watching your favorite TV series, biking will, with no doubt, help you achieve a healthy heart.
Take the Stairs
It is highly recommended to do aerobic exercises within 55 to 85 percent of your maximum heart and climbing the stairs at the comfort of your own home or taking the stairs instead of the elevator to your office in the morning can let you hit that target. You don’t have to manually count your heart rate, you will know that you are doing it right if you can withstand a conversation without being out of breath while doing the exercise.
Burn Calories with Wii Fit at Home
For you to maintain a healthy weight, you should burn more calories than you take it. Playing Wii Fit in the comfort of your home can increase your heart rate to a certain level that it qualifies as an effective cardiovascular exercise. This interactive video game can allow you to set an everyday goal of burned calories. The game will then tell you, at the end of each workout, how much calories you have burned, allowing you to effectively track and accomplish your goal.
Be Mindful with Tai Chi
Tai Chi is a form of martial arts that is non-competitive and is popularly known for its self-defense approach and heart health benefits. As an exercise, it involves gentle and light physical exercise and muscle stretching coupled with mindfulness. Aside from its heart health benefits, Tai Chi is also known to reduce pain and alleviate depression. A survey from the National Institutes of Health showed that more than 2 million Americans use Tai Chi as low-impact exercise.
Hop on That Elliptical Machine
What’s great about the elliptical machine is that it gives you the ability to simultaneously exercise your arms, legs and core, giving you a more overall muscle workout. These training machines are easy to find in your nearest fitness center, or purchase one for exercise at home. There is a good reason why this machine is a mainstay in the gym – it’s easy and light on the joints and provides the best aerobic and total-body workout.
Dance Your Heart Away
Dancing is for everybody. Yes, even if you have two left feet. Dancing is not only fun, it is also a good aerobic exercise that is highly beneficial to your heart health. And the good thing about it is you don’t have to sweat on the preparation – all you actually need is a good pair of shoes, decent space, and the music of your liking. The ideal beat for aerobic dance exercise is between 115 to 130 beats per minute.
Ultimately…
It is indeed hard to look for any other workout routines or exercises that give as many heart health benefits as aerobic exercise. When done regularly, aerobic exercise helps you lower blood pressure, regulate blood sugar, strengthen muscles and bones, reduce chronic pain, reduce stress and anxiety, improve cholesterol levels, strengthen your immune system and ultimately improve cardiovascular health among others.