Getting your heart rate up and pumping is excellent for your cardiovascular health! Being physically active is a good step toward heart health and is effective for strengthening the heart muscle. Exercising also keeps your weight under control and helps to fight off artery damage from issues like high cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure. Keep your heart healthy by partaking in some of the exercises below.
Aerobic Exercise
Aerobic exercises help to improve your circulation which lowers blood pressure and heart rate. It also increases your aerobic fitness which helps how well your heart pumps. It is also a great tool to reduce your risk of Type 2 Diabetes. Specialists say that you should do at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercises five days per week for optimal results. This could include: running, swimming, cycling, jumping rope or brisk walking.
Resistance Training
For people that have more body fat, resistance training can help reduce fat and create leaner muscle mass. This style of exercise affects your body’s composition, and by combining it with aerobic exercises, you could help raise HDL cholesterol and lower LDL cholesterol. Resistance training has been shown to be effective for heart health when performed over two non-consecutive days each week. This could be: working out with free weights, using workout machines, resistance bands or doing pushups.
Stretching
Stretching may not directly affect heart health; however, it does benefit your musculoskeletal health. Your musculoskeletal health helps you stay flexible, free of joint pain and other issues like cramping. Being flexible also helps you to perform resistance and aerobic exercises more easily. You should stretch every day before and after performing exercises. There are easy, at home stretches you can do, or you can watch YouTube videos to learn moves more specific to your goals. Consider participating in classes at your local yoga to increase your flexibility.
Keeping your heart healthy is important. By performing the above exercises, you also help yourself avoid risks like high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and other issues that could be the result of poor heart health. As always, we recommend obtaining clearance from your physician before beginning an exercise regimen – especially if you have a medical condition. Our doctors are here to discuss your options so you can begin your personalized exercise plan! Visit us online at www.onesource-healthcare.com or give us a call today at 229-439- 1950 or 229-246-6417.