Working out for your heart is one of the best things you can do to keep your overall health in a safe place. There are a lot of different exercises you can do on a daily basis to keep your heart healthy.
You can either do 2 or 3 of them by splitting the time you have dedicated to working out, or you can just simply choose one of them and then do accordingly.
However, as per the experts, you may devote at least 150 minutes to working out per week to maintain your overall health in general and cardiovascular health in particular. If you are someone who has a family history of cardiovascular diseases, it is quite important that you make a daily routine for working out.
Moreover, if you are leading a sedentary life without working out, you are highly likely to develop several lifestyle and cardiovascular diseases. In this article, we will be discussing a couple of the best workouts you can do to keep your heart healthy.
Which Kind Of Exercises Are Most Significant For Heart Health?
Walking
If you are a beginner at working out, the best exercise would be walking. It does not need any extra learning to get it done. However, make sure you have a good pair of running shoes with decent support so that you will not have any internal or micro-injuries while walking.
You can walk by listening to music or your favourite podcast. Walking with your best friend or a family member would also be a great idea. Make sure you are walking briskly and not at a slower pace.
Only brisk walking would give you more effective results. It would also be less stressful on your joints, thus making it a more sustainable workout option.
Weight Training
Weight training does not mean you have to hit the gym to get it done. Even if you do not have access to a gym, you can still train yourself to lose weight in the comfort of your own home.
Moreover, the best way to train yourself with weight is by using your own body weight. Push-ups, pull-ups, squats, and planks are some of the best and most effective weight-training workouts you can do at home.
However, it is important to make sure you are doing it in the correct posture and manner in order to avoid injuries. While weight training, your body will slowly burn the accumulated fat and also start building muscles in the body. This can be quite beneficial for your heart health.
Swimming
Swimming is another cardio workout that will help you burn a lot of fat in your body. It is one of the best workouts that would give you a feeling of fun and internally stimulated happiness.
You can opt for this, especially during the summers, to get rid of the scorching heat of the sun. Apart from that, swimming is less likely to cause intense cramps and joint pains when compared to other types of workouts.
Do not step back if you have not learned to swim yet. This is also one of the best life skills that you should learn. Hence, make it an opportunity to master the skill and enjoy swimming.
However, one of the downsides of swimming is that it may cause skin allergies and diseases, especially if you have sensitive skin or if you are swimming in chlorinated pools on a daily basis.
If you have access to natural water sources with unpolluted water, this is one of the best options you can ever have.
Yoga
Yoga is one of the most sensational workout options practiced by people all over the world. Since it runs at a slower pace, it would be really helpful to calm you from the inside out.
Apart from that, it may also help in preventing a lot of lifestyle diseases, such as increased blood pressure rates. Yoga is also proven to strengthen and tone the heart muscles and increase the heartbeat rate.
Apart from that, it also has a lot of other health benefits, making it one of the best exercises you may consider. It also focuses on the breathing aspect, contributing to lung health too.
It may also increase the flexibility of our body through its varied and intricate movements.
Cycling
Cycling is another great option if you are looking for workouts that can really train and strengthen your heart muscles and increase your heartbeats. If the terrain you are cycling on varies, it can significantly increase the effect of the workout.
Moreover, a lot of studies prove that it has a major impact on the improvement of the mental health of individuals. Cycling with good company can again make it a more fun-filled and happy activity.
You may also do it indoors with a static cycle. However, it is always better to prefer the outdoors over the indoors. It is also quite beneficial to train muscles in other parts of your body, especially your calf muscles.
If possible, gifting your children a bicycle and making them commute to school with the same would be a great exercise to teach them right from childhood, if the school is within walking distance.
Conclusion
Now, you know what to do and where to do it if you would like to improve the health of your heart. All of the exercises mentioned above can significantly help in increasing the heartbeat, strengthening the heart muscles, and toning them.
Make sure that you are choosing the exercise that would interest you and can be sustainably practiced for a longer period, preferably as a habit. Switching between these exercises can also help in experiencing variety and avoiding boredom from doing the same exercise over and over again.
If you are going cycling, you can also consider changing the routes, which can be quite beneficial in maintaining interest. You can also go to different pools and even go to safe natural water bodies if you choose to swim. Doing weight training both at the gym and at home interchangeably can also help.
References:
- Hasegawa K, et al. (2019). Obesity and cardiovascular risk after quitting smoking: The latest evidence.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6523057/ - Heart-healthy foods: shopping list. (2022).
https://health.gov/myhealthfinder/topics/health-conditions/heart-health/heart-healthy-foods-shopping-list - Parikh NI, et al. (2021). Adverse pregnancy outcomes and cardiovascular disease risk: Unique opportunities for cardiovascular disease prevention in women: A scientific statement from the American Heart Association.
https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000961
