This Valentine’s Day, celebrate your loved ones, but be sure to show yourself some love by taking time to focus on your cardiovascular health. Whether or not you have a significant other to mark this day with, ensure that your physical heart is in top condition. Your overall health is integral for a healthy heart to avoid conditions such as stroke, heart attack, high blood pressure and artery damage. Embrace a healthy and physically fit lifestyle to manage your weight and strengthen your heart muscles. Did you know the heart is a muscle that gets stronger and healthier with an active lifestyle? Let’s explore the top heart healthy workouts to get you started.
How To Start Exercising
Various exercises will help you achieve a healthy heart. For instance, aerobics and resistance training are the most effective heart healthy workouts, but you should incorporate other exercises for that overall fitness. Even though flexibility does not directly impact your heart health, you still need a good foundation to perform heart healthy exercises. You can start working out at home using the Sworkit App to provide a heart healthy workout guide. What matters is that you start.
Strength/Resistant Training
This type of workout is effective for those who carry a lot of body fat, especially those with big bellies, which can be risky for the heart. This type of workout targets the fat, thus creating a leaner muscle mass. Combining this exercise with aerobics will raise HDL (good cholesterol) and lower bad cholesterol (LDL). It would be best to aim to have two days a week for resistance training. You can incorporate free weights like barbells and dumbbells or even resistance bands. If you don’t have any of this equipment, use your body weight with exercises such as squats and push-ups.
Aerobics
This exercise incorporates a lot of movement, which aids in circulation, lowers blood pressure and improves heart health. Generally, aerobics is good for your health. It reduces the risks of conditions such as Type 2 diabetes. If you live with diabetes, then aerobics will aid in controlling your blood glucose. Aim to have a minimum one 30-minute aerobic session at least six days per week. Get in your aerobics by engaging in the following activities:
- Brisk walking
- Cycling
- Jumping rope
- Sports (e.g. tennis and soccer)
- Swimming
- Dancing
- Running
- Jogging
Stretching/Balance and Flexibility
Flexibility exercises, such as stretching, don’t necessarily fall under the category of heart healthy exercises, but they will significantly benefit your musculoskeletal health. In other words, you’ll gain more flexibility. In addition, you will avoid joint pains, muscular issues and cramping. Flexibility will enable you to carry out aerobic exercises and strength training. Being flexible will improve your balance and help you maintain good form when working out.
Flexibility training can also prevent falls that will cause injuries. We recommend stretching every day before and after exercise. There are many resources on the Sworkit App that will help you with basic and more advanced stretches. You can also take up yoga or tai chi, which will help improve these skills.
Whether your goal is general fitness, heart health, weight loss, muscle gain, improved flexibility, enhanced endurance, or to simply tone up, the Sworkit workout app can help. We’re one of the top-rated fitness apps for android, iPhone and web users. Sworkit has curated great workout routines to help you reach your fitness goals faster and with ease. Track all your workout sessions and set reminders to achieve your goals faster. This February, show yourself some love and take care of your heart! Visit our website for a free trial.
Comment section