Effective Exercises For Heart Health
Many individuals who exercise do so to lose weight and build muscle. However, keeping a healthy heart is an often overlooked benefit that you should be paying more attention to. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in men and women throughout America, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimating that one person in the country is killed by it every 36 seconds. Fortunately, there are many exercises you can engage in to strengthen your heart and boost your life expectancy. Here are some of the best exercises to consider for your heart health.
- Walking
Walking could be the perfect option if you are a beginner at exercising or have an existing heart condition. A recent study published in Preventing Chronic Disease linked walking with a lesser risk of heart disease. Also, walking is an excellent choice if you are an older adult or have joint issues that prevent you from running because it is low-impact. Although any form of walking is beneficial, many experts agree that faster is always better. Therefore, consider turning your strolls through the park into power walks if possible. You can get 80% to 90% of all of the best heart benefits by simply walking, but the remaining 10% to 20% can come from increasing the intensity.
- Roller skating
Roller skating enjoyed a resurgence in popularity in America and beyond, thanks to the pandemic. A worldwide increase in viral roller skating videos on Instagram and TikTok, the rise in the number of skate tutorials, bright and catchy roller skate brands like https://impalaskate.com.au/collections/inline-skates, and the itch to go outside during the pandemic drove interest in this activity to new heights. This recreational activity has many benefits besides being fun, including better heart health. Indeed, the American Heart Association lists roller skating as one of the top exercises for heart health. Research from the Universitat Konstantx also showed that moderate roller skating increases your heart rate to 140 to 160 beats per minute. Therefore, just 30 minutes of roller skating is enough to get the heart workout you need daily.
- Cycling
Riding your bike can do more than get you from one place to another. Indeed, cycling is one of the best workouts you can do for your heart health. The activity uses many large muscles in your legs, helping to increase your heart rate. Cycling can enhance your heart rate almost as much as running, with less stress on your joints because it is low impact. Moreover, any type of cycling is effective for enjoying a lower risk of heart diseases, so you don’t necessarily have to go outside. Therefore, you can rely solely on an indoor stationary bike if you are new to the activity or live in a big city.
- Yoga
Almost everyone thinks of high-intensity exercises when working out to strengthen their hearts. However, workouts that get your blood pumping aren’t the only kinds of physical activity that can prevent or help manage heart disease. The calming, mind-body activity of yoga is great for improving heart health and lowering blood pressure. It is vital to note that stress management is crucial to overall heart health. Therefore, yoga’s clearest benefit to cardiovascular health is its ability to relax the mind and body. Various yoga poses can also improve flexibility, strength, and stamina, making the activity an excellent fit for an overall healthy lifestyle. Consequently, now is a great time to join the over 36 million Americans practicing yoga.
- Swimming
All cardiovascular exercises are excellent at helping you build muscle and increase strength. However, swimming, in particular, is an effective way to exercise for heart health. Swimming leads to a long-term, lowered heart rate because it increases your heart muscle’s strength and size. As such, your heart will eventually not need to work hard to satisfy the basic needs of operating your cardiovascular system, so it will be less stressed. Furthermore, swimming can lower your blood pressure, improve circulation, and lower general stress, ensuring that your heart remains in excellent condition.
- Strength training
Lifting weights, doing push-ups, and engaging in other strength training exercises will get your heart pumping. These exercises will also increase your lean muscle mass, enabling you to burn more calories at rest and maintain a healthy weight. As such, it is no surprise that all of the benefits of strength training are great for your heart. One study found that strength training exercises lower the risk of a stroke or heart attack by up to 70%. However, remember to allow your muscles to recover for a day between your strength training sessions.
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