Exercise and heart health are undeniably linked. Regular physical activity strengthens your heart, improves blood flow, and helps you maintain a healthy weight. But with so many good exercises for heart health around and suggested by fitness influencers, it can be tough to know where to begin. This blog will explore some of the best exercises for heart health, helping you find the fastest way to improve cardiovascular health and keep your heart in top shape. So, readers, let’s get into the topic of cardiac health exercises!
Table Of Contents
1. 8 Best Exercises For Heart Health
2. How Does Exercise Improve Heart Health?
3. How To Check Your Heart Health?
4. The Final Say
5. FAQs
6. References
8 Best Exercises For Heart Health
Here are some of the best exercises for heart health:
1. Walking
By promoting heart health and overall fitness, a simple yet effective aerobic exercise that can be easily incorporated into your daily routine.
2. Jogging/Running
Jogging increases heart rate and strengthens cardiovascular endurance, lowering blood pressure and improving circulation.
Also Read: Optimise Your Fitness: 10 Best High-Intensity Workouts At Home With Exercise Tips!
3. Swimming
By enhancing heart function and muscular strength, Swimming is best known as an effective full-body workout with minimal impact on joints.
4. Cycling
While being gentle on the joints, cycling improves cardiovascular health, leg strength, and endurance.
5. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
HIIT works well by boosting heart health and calorie burn in a shorter time frame. It alternates between bursts of intense exercise and brief recovery periods.
6. Strength Training
It reduces the workload on the heart during daily activities, builds muscle mass, boosts metabolism, and enhances heart function.
Also Read: Check Out These Powerful 15 Strength Exercises At Home For Maximum Fitness Gains
7. Circuit Training
Providing a comprehensive cardiovascular and muscular workout that combines various aerobic and strength exercises.
8. Dancing
A fun and social activity that improves coordination, elevates heart rate, and promotes cardiovascular health.
How Does Exercise Improve Heart Health?
Regular exercise is a cornerstone of heart health. Here are the key reasons why exercise improves heart health:
- Strengthens the heart muscle, allowing it to pump more blood with less effort
- Lowers blood pressure by keeping blood vessels flexible and reducing the force on them
- Improves circulation and oxygen delivery to tissues throughout the body
- Raises HDL ("good") cholesterol and lowers LDL ("bad") cholesterol and triglycerides
- Helps maintain a healthy weight and reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes
- Reduces inflammation in the body, which can damage the cardiovascular system over time
- Lowers the risk of heart attack and sudden cardiac death in people with heart disease
- Reduces stress and anxiety, which can negatively impact heart health
How To Check Your Heart Health?
Regularly monitoring your heart health is crucial for early detection of potential issues.
Simple checks include measuring your blood pressure and heart rate at home. For a thorough evaluation, schedule regular check-ups with a doctor. They can perform tests like electrocardiograms (ECG), echocardiograms, and blood tests to assess heart function, identify risk factors, and recommend preventive measures. Here are some tests that your doctor may recommend:
- Blood Pressure Check
- Cholesterol Test
- Electrocardiogram (ECG)
- Echocardiogram
- Stress Test
- Cardiac CT Scan
- Cardiac MRI
- Coronary Angiography
- Holter Monitoring
- Complete Blood Count (CBC)
Also Read: Top 10 Summer Workout Tips: Exercises & Workout Plans For Lasting Results!
The Final Say
Adding these 8 exercises that boost cardiovascular health to your regular fitness plan will definitely help in maintaining a good and strong heart. From quick walking and jogging to swimming or doing high-intensity interval training, every workout has its own benefits for enhancing cardiovascular function. Make sure you are consistent - try to do at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week. Slowly increase the time and effort as your level of fitness gets better. Remember to pay attention to your body, keep it hydrated, and consult with a healthcare professional before beginning any new exercise routine if you have a medical condition.
FAQs
1. What is the healthy heart rate during exercise?
50 to 85 beats per minute is a healthy heart rate during exercise.
2. Which is the best exercise for heart disease?
Walking is one of the best exercises for heart disease, providing gentle cardiovascular benefits with minimal risk.
3. What is the average heart rate during exercise?
It depends on the individual and keeps changing from person to person.
References
- https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/activity/exercises-heart-health
- https://uihc.org/health-topics/best-exercises-improve-heart-health
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