Heart-healthy exercising is vital to a truly healthy lifestyle since the heart is, after all, one of the most important muscles in the body. We can’t live without it. So it’s important to do exercises that build a stronger heart just like you would your other muscles. The average adult should do about 150 minutes (2 1/2 hours) of moderate cardio exercises a week (a brisk walk or jog), which can more easily be done in 30- to 45-minute segments over the course of several days, or about 75 minutes a week of more intense exercises (running). In addition, it’s recommended that the average healthy adult should be doing strength exercises at least two times per week.
Benefits to the Heart
- Lowers blood pressure
- Improves blood flow
- Improves workout efficiency
- Lowers Cholesterol
- Decreases risk of heart attack and stroke
- Promotes other healthy behaviors
- Reduces the occurrence of atrial fibrillation (AFib)
Examples of Heart-Healthy Exercises
Cardio and body weight strength training exercises are important and both can be done outside the gym. While exercises like squats and planks may seem basic, they are essential to any workout but it’s important to learn the proper form to avoid injury.
- Walking, Jogging, & Running
- Swimming
- Cycling
- Push-ups
- Squats
- Planks
This segment is brought to you in partnership with Edward-Elmhurst Health.
