You don’t need to dedicate hours a day to exercise or dine solely on heart-healthy recipes to protect yourself from cardiovascular disease. You only need to participate in 60 minutes of moderate cardiovascular exercise to safeguard your heart-health.
The best part is that you can include many enjoyable activities in your routine, so you can have fun while reaping the benefits.
Check out these heart-healthy activities to keep your ticker in top form.
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1. Low-Impact Swimming
Swimming is one of the safest activities for your heart if you want to protect your joints from the impact of running or aerobics.
Swimming uses every muscle in your body, so your heart has to work harder to supply everything with blood and oxygen. This strengthens your heart muscle and helps keep it in great shape for longer.
You can swim at any pace as long as it elevates your heart rate but as you get fitter, interval training will bring the best benefits.
2. Gentle Heart-Healthy Activities
Yoga is an excellent gentle introduction to an exercise regime since it’s fantastic for improving suppleness. According to afibmatters.org, some heart conditions can worsen thanks to physical inactivity.
So, if you’re unfit, gentle exercise is better than none at all.
Although yoga doesn’t exactly get your heart pounding, it’s hugely beneficial for reducing stress.
Less stress means a healthier heart and yoga’s also proven to fight obesity, which is public enemy number one when it comes to cardiac disease.
3. Biking and Cycling
Riding a road bike or mountain bike is another outstanding and fun low-impact option. It’s easy to include biking in your daily routine if you can cycle to work.
Bikes offer abundant opportunities for exploring and getting out in nature which is another boost for your mental health and stress levels.
Almost anyone can learn to ride a bicycle, so it’s a top choice as far as family activities go too.
4. Walk It Off
Brisk walking’s an easy way to shake off any extra pounds and improve your cardiovascular fitness. It’s extremely easy to include walking exercise without setting aside a specific time for exercise too.
All you need is a step counter and the will to walk wherever you can. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, walk to nearby stores, and move with purpose during your daily activities.
On weekends, why not explore some of the local trails in your area, so you can benefit from fresh air and sunshine at the same time.
It will surprise you how far you can walk in a day without much extra effort.
Make the Most of Life
These heart-healthy activities will protect your health, which means you’ll live longer and enjoy life more.
Exercise is a worthwhile and rewarding pastime that can benefit almost every area of your life. Other top tips include sticking with foods to keep your heart healthy and getting plenty of sleep. Isn’t it time you got started?
Keep browsing our website for more health and fitness ideas as well as tips to help you cope with the daily grind.