Exercises for Heart Health
The human heart is one of the most incredible muscles in the body. Proper function of the heart is determined, in large part, by how well the rest of your body runs. Just like any other muscle in your body, there are things you can do to strengthen your heart. Exercise that promotes good heart health does not have to be daunting, there are many ways you can incorporate exercise into your daily life to benefit your heart’s overall well-being.
Aerobic Exercise
Aerobic exercise involves cardiovascular conditioning or “cardio”. There are endless forms of aerobic exercise that can be pursued depending on physical ability. If you suffer from high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, or other health complications, you should consult a medical professional before planning your exercise regimen. Even if you don’t have a pre-existing health condition, it is always a good idea to talk to your doctor before incorporating new and strenuous activity into your daily life.
The word “aerobic” literally means the presence of oxygen. Raising your heart rate and increasing your oxygen intake with aerobic exercise has expansive benefits such as lowering your blood pressure, decreasing risk of heart disease, and big advantages such as lowering stress and increasing energy.
Depending on your physical limits, there are low and high impact options for exercise you can pursue. For higher impact exercises, one might go running, participate in a cardio class, or jump rope. For someone looking for lower impact exercises: swimming, cycling, hiking, and walking are all great aerobic exercises.
What Else?
Outside of aerobic exercises, there are a variety of exercises you can commit to in order to help your heart. Remember, any activity that gets your heart rate up and blood flowing is good for your cardiovascular health. You can pair aerobic exercise with strength training in order to focus on building muscles in your body. Further, prior to and following a workout routine, you should always stretch to aid in the recovery process and mitigate injury. Yoga, for example, is a great way to stretch, target muscles, and unwind with a bit of meditation (relieving stress is also beneficial to your heart!).
The Bottom Line
Making exercise a part of your weekly routine is critical to your heart and overall health and well-being. You can explore many different activities to find what you enjoy the most and feel the best doing.
If you want to consult one of our physicians about how you can incorporate heart health exercises into your life, schedule an appointment today!
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