Being physically active is one of the most important things you can do to keep your heart healthy. It strengthens your heart, helps control weight and wards off the artery damage from high cholesterol, blood sugar and high blood pressure.
Exercise is also a great stress reliever, energy booster and mood lifter. To get the most benefit, you should include both aerobic and strength training exercises (such as push-ups or squats) each week.
Walking
Getting enough exercise is one of the best ways to protect your heart, and walking is among the easiest cardiovascular exercises. It’s cheap, doesn’t require any special equipment and can be done nearly anywhere. In fact, according to federal physical activity guidelines, adults can meet the recommended amount of exercise — 150 minutes of moderate intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity a week — by walking.
Walking can strengthen your heart, help keep your weight under control and ward off the artery damage caused by high cholesterol, blood sugar and high blood pressure, which can lead to heart disease. It also can help prevent depression and boost self-esteem.
But it’s important to walk at the right level of intensity to get the most benefit. You want to exert enough effort so that your heart rate is elevated, but not so much that you’re out of breath. Walking briskly at about 2.5 miles per hour qualifies as moderate intensity. If you’re new to exercise or have a heart condition, start with shorter, less intense walks and gradually increase your pace and duration over time.
To make sure you’re reaching the recommended amount of weekly aerobic exercise, use a fitness tracker or smartwatch to monitor your progress. And try to incorporate walking into your daily routine by taking a break from your desk several times a day to go for a short walk or run around the block. You can even invite coworkers or friends to join you for a walk.
People who don’t do enough exercise are twice as likely to develop heart disease than those who do, but it’s never too late to start exercising. If you don’t know how to get started, talk to your primary care provider or cardiologist about a plan. They can refer you to an exercise physiologist or physical therapist who can create a safe, effective and individualized walking program for your unique needs and abilities.
Cycling
Cycling provides a full-body workout that strengthens your arms, legs and core while also getting your heart and blood vessels a good aerobic exercise. It can burn up to 300 calories in an hour, depending on your speed and how long you ride. Cycling is a great option for people with joint problems, like arthritis, since it is a low impact exercise that does not put much strain on the knees and hips.
The American Society of Clinical Oncology recommends that oncologists encourage their patients to participate in regular aerobic exercise, such as cycling, to help improve their quality of life during and after cancer treatment. According to research from 2019, cycling can help reduce side effects of cancer treatment, such as fatigue, by keeping you lean and fit.
If you are new to exercising, or if you have a preexisting condition such as cardiovascular disease or heart failure, it is important to start off slow and consult with your health care provider first. You should always warm up and cool down before and after exercise, and if you have angina, be sure to carry your GTN spray with you in case you start to feel any symptoms while exercising.
Aerobic exercise can improve your blood flow, lower your blood pressure and lower your risk of developing diabetes. It also helps you control weight and lowers your risk of high cholesterol. It is recommended that adults do 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise each week.
If you are a beginner, begin with two days of cycling a week, and then add a third day once you have built up your stamina. Once you are comfortable, you can start to play around with the intensity of your rides by adding hills or distance. When you are exercising at a higher intensity, it is important to hydrate and eat well to ensure you are not depleting your body’s reserve of glycogen, which causes a wave of fatigue and muscle weakness that can lead to a fall or injury. You can prevent this by consuming food rich in carbohydrates and protein before your exercise sessions.
Yoga
Many people think of jogging or biking when they hear the term “cardio” exercise, but yoga is another option that’s heart-healthy. The calming activity improves flexibility, muscle strength and balance. It also reduces stress. But the key benefit is its impact on lowering your blood pressure and levels of harmful cholesterol.
Yoga, like other types of physical activity, can lower your risk of developing a variety of heart problems, including high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity. In addition, the practice may reduce symptoms of heart disease, such as fatigue, edema and depression.
Although the specific mechanisms aren’t fully understood, yoga seems to help people become more sensitive to insulin, control their blood sugar level, reduce their blood pressure and reduce the amount of harmful cholesterol in their blood. It may also encourage a healthier diet and other healthy behaviors, such as not smoking, which is one of the biggest risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
Yoga also improves breathing and helps you to relax, which are both important for cardiovascular health. The combination of these effects can make a big difference in how well your heart works and how quickly it responds to stress. This is especially true of the slower forms of the practice, such as yin yoga and tai chi.
Another possible reason why yoga may be good for your heart is that it trains you to pay attention to what’s happening in your body, which could help you notice signs and symptoms of heart problems early. This is particularly helpful if you have a condition that causes your heart to beat irregularly, such as atrial fibrillation or coronary artery disease.
It’s important to talk with your doctor before you start taking a yoga class. Whether you decide to try the gentler, more meditative forms of yoga or the faster, energetic Vinyasa flow style, tell your instructor about any medical conditions or other concerns you have. In particular, if you have a low blood pressure or are at risk of hypertension, you should avoid practicing some types of yoga poses.
Interval Training
HIIT workouts involve short bursts of intense physical activity, followed by periods of rest or lower-intensity exercise. They can be as brief as 10 minutes (after a warmup period of at least 5 minutes), or as long as 60 minutes for advanced participants. These workouts may include bodyweight cardio exercises such as mountain climbers or burpees, or weighted exercises like squats or lunges. You can also use any cardiovascular machine at the gym to perform HIIT workouts, including treadmills, stationary bikes and elliptical machines.
The goal of HIIT is to get your heart rate up and keep it up. This will help you burn more calories and improve your cardiorespiratory fitness, which is essential to reducing the low-grade inflammation that can lead to heart disease and other metabolic conditions.
Studies have shown that HIIT can be as effective as — or even more effective than – traditional aerobic exercise for maintaining and improving heart health. These workouts can also boost your metabolism and help you lose weight, which can further reduce your risk for heart-related diseases.
HIIT workouts can be as short as a single 10-second or 12-repetition set of your favorite bodyweight strength training move, such as a pushup or pull-up. It is recommended that you do these workouts two to three times per week, ideally on different days of the week so you have a day or so to recover in between.
It is important to note that HIIT workouts should be performed under the supervision of a qualified instructor or trainer. These types of workouts can be challenging for people with heart or vascular problems, and can result in an increased heart rate, dizziness, chest pain or other symptoms.
Aerobic exercise, such as walking, swimming and cycling, is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. It strengthens your heart and lungs, improves circulation and overall cardiovascular health, and helps reduce the fat around your organs, which can decrease your risk of developing heart-related diseases. It is recommended that you aim for 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week, but it is best to talk with your health professional before starting a new exercise program.
