4 Exercises To Keep Your Heart Healthy

Any kind of movement will be beneficial for your heart’s health, but some are more useful and effective than others. Here are four types of exercises you can do to keep your heart healthy.

1. High-Intensity Interval Training

High-intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is a type of workout that aims to provide cardio and strength training in one routine. During a HITT routine, you’ll alternate between a few minutes of intense work, such as burpees, a cooldown and a rest period. HITT workouts provide plenty of variety in movements and equipment, but may not be suitable for beginners and people who require low-impact exercises. Make sure you talk to your doctor or a cardiac health expert such as Dr. Ian Weisberg before starting any HIIT workouts to make sure they’re safe options for you.

2. Moderate-to-Vigorous Aerobic Workouts

The most effective exercise for cardiac health is aerobic exercise. Aerobic movement causes your heart rate to speed up, strengthens your heart muscle and improves cardiorespiratory health. While the first aerobic exercise most people think of is running, there are actually many moderate and vigorous aerobic movement options available. Moderate-intensity exercises include swimming, tennis and jogging or brisk walking. Some examples of vigorous-intensity exercises are hiking, biking, yard work, jumping rope and playing soccer.

3. Flexibility and Balance Exercises

It’s important to participate in exercises that supplement and balance your aerobic workouts. Make sure you take time to warm up before and cool down after your aerobic exercises with some movements to improve flexibility and balance. Practicing yoga and Tai Chi can improve your balance and increase your flexibility, lowering your risk of falling or injuring yourself during an aerobic workout. Pilates and barre routines combine flexibility and balance exercises with aerobic movements and resistance training.

4. Resistance Training

Remember to exercise individual muscles and muscle groups too. While some people want to build muscle, others only want to tone their existing muscle mass. Both options are good because both require your muscles to work. Resistance training can both build and tone muscle. It’s a relatively flexible routine where you can use weights, other equipment such as resistance bands or your own body weight.

It’s important to create a holistic exercise routine for yourself. Focusing only on muscle building can leave your heart weak and doing aerobic workouts without stretching increases your risk of musculoskeletal injury. Start small and work your way up to longer and more intense workouts.