Maintaining a healthy heart is extremely important for your overall health. Doctors recommend spending at least 150 minutes a week doing cardiovascular activities. But don’t worry, this doesn’t mean spending all your spare time at the gym. It can be simple changes to your daily activities, starting at a gym, and everything in between.
Simple ways to increase your cardio include:
- Parking your car at the back of the parking lot, instead of closest to the door.
- Taking the stairs, instead of the elevator
- Walking around a mall when the weather is bad, instead of outside.
- Wearing a fitness tracker to motivate you to take more daily steps.
- Get up from your desk every hour at work and take a walk around the office.
The 6 best exercises to strengthen your heart include:
- Walking – this can be as easy as a short walk on your lunch break to a long hike on a weekend.
- Weight Training – This can be done using your own body weight or free weights. Push-ups, squats and pull-ups are great examples of weight training.
- Swimming – Have fun with swimming, from water aerobics to lane swimming. It is a fun way to exercise that is nice on the joints.
- Yoga – strengthen and tone your muscles while decreasing blood pressure and stress.
- Interval Training – this is the alternating between short bursts of high intensity exercises with a longer rest period This will help burn calories and improve the function of your blood vessels.
- Cycling – this can be done on a outdoor bike, a recumbent bike or an upright bike.
Physical cardio activity health benefits include:
- Lowers blood pressure
- Aids in weight loss
- Strengthens muscles
- Reduces risk of diabetes
- Lowers stress levels
- Reduces inflammation
Always ask your doctor before starting any new exercise routines.
Information retrieved from: https://intermountainhealthcare.org/blogs/topics/heart/2019/02/6-best-exercises-to-strengthen-your-heart/ and https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/7-heart-benefits-of-exercise
