Category: Exercise and Diet

Are you interested in knowing the best cardio workout for healthy heart rates? Today is the right time to focus on your fitness goals. Regular exercise will help you build muscle and lose weight, but it does so much more!

Aerobic exercise (cardio exercise) requires repetitive contraction of your large muscle groups to get your heart to beat faster. It’s highly beneficial for your cardiovascular health (the heart and blood vessels).

What Can Cardio Exercise Do for Heart Health?

A regular cardio exercise routine can:

• Improve oxygen flow throughout the body
• Strengthen the blood vessels and heart
• Reduce your risk of diabetes, heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, and some cancers
• Lower your blood pressure or cholesterol

What’s the Best Workout for Heart Disease and Blood Pressure?

Most people wonder what exercise is heart-healthy, and the good news is that it doesn’t really matter the type. You simply have to do something!

There’s no cure-all for exercise or one way to do it. For example, you could be a cross-trainer, so you work out for 30 minutes but use different muscles for 10 minutes at a time to keep the routine interesting.

Some people pair strength training exercises with cardio training to lower body weight and gain muscle. You don’t have to use the same strategy as someone else to get the heart-health benefits of cardio workouts. The goal is to exercise regularly. 

Everyone has a daily routine. You might take a shower and brush your teeth before you do much else. Aerobic exercise should be included on that list. Though resistance training is crucial, you require a mixture of heart-healthy activities to stay youthful, avoid the risk of heart attack, and get help losing weight. Likewise, exercise can lower high blood pressure!

Try Heart-healthy Exercises Today

It’s best to exercise four or five times per week. One part of your schedule is to have varying types and intensities. When you change up the routine regularly, you won’t have to deal with overuse injuries and can work different muscle groups. Likewise, you’re not doing the same things over and over and get bored.

Most professionals recommend moderate exercise two to three days per week for about 30 minutes. You should be short of breath and sweat a little on those days, but you can talk normally.

Use longer aerobic exercise activities that take an hour or longer one day per week. This could include brisk walking around your neighborhood, Zumba classes, and bike rides. The movement doesn’t matter, but you should enjoy doing it and stay moving throughout.

A Note about Resistance Training and High-intensity Interval Training

If you start with the exercise program above, that’s three days of your routine. On the fourth and fifth days, you should focus on interval training. High-intensity training could be the best exercises ever because they stimulate various muscles and get different responses from the blood vessels and heart.

One type of high-intensity training includes exercising hard for a short period, resting, and then working hard again. This is excellent for heart health and is often referred to as HIIT.

Along with cardio training, you should consider weight training one to two days per week for your overall health. Strength training exercises with resistance bands or weights will make the muscles stronger, help with metabolism, and will improve bone strength. Therefore, you might avoid certain conditions like diabetes.

Strength training comes in various forms, and you don’t have to use the free weights at the gym. Instead, you can use Pilates, calisthenics, and Tai Chi or Yoga to build flexibility and balance, along with strength.

How to Work in Resistance Training and Aerobic Exercise Throughout the Week

The order in which you perform all those exercises isn’t important. However, you may want to space out strength training and HIIT to give muscles time to recover and avoid injury. Go for a brisk walk when you don’t have a lot of time, and use the weekends for longer routines.

The goal here is to boost heart health slowly. Vigorous exercise is essential, but you need a good full-body workout with weights to ensure flexibility and balance. 

Though moderate-intensity routines are great, you should push yourself periodically. When starting a new exercise program, it’s wise to go slowly and gradually raise your fitness level. You’ll start noticing more muscle mass and get the heart pumping safely.

The Overall Heart of the Matter

The National Institutes of Health published the results of a two-year study that looked at how exercise might affect heart health. About 60 middle-aged women and men (about 53 years old) who didn’t exercise regularly used a heart catheter to measure the youthfulness or flexibility of the heart after just two years of exercise. There was also a control group that used flexibility and balance exercises.

Overall, the results of the study were compelling. It indicated that it’s possible to reverse the consequences of living a sedentary lifestyle if you commit to heart health and choose a regular exercise routine that you can stick with in middle age.

What to Do Now

If you’re worried about developing heart disease or have a family history of high blood sugar, it might be wise to start an exercise routine now. Begin at a moderate intensity, such as walking at a brisk pace. Get your heart rate up, but be careful that you don’t overdo it initially.

You’ll soon notice that your heart rate is lower at rest, you’ll reduce your high cholesterol, and you will have a stronger heart muscle. In some cases, you may avoid heart failure.

Physical activity is crucial, and there are so many options available. Flexibility exercises can help you relax, while swimming laps will get the heart rate up high. You may also consider push-ups to build your upper body strength.

Regardless of what you do, varying your heart rate is crucial. If you’re constantly binge-watching shows on television, you’re leading a sedentary lifestyle that could be damaging in the long term. Make small changes now and start slowly to improve.

Are you looking for cardio workouts for heart health? You have come to the right place. 

You’ve probably heard that exercise is a great way to keep your heart healthy. By improving blood flow, it can help to lower your blood pressure, as numerous studies have proven, but which exercises should you choose?

Because your heart is one of the most important organs in your body, it’s important to take care of it. 

In this article, we’ll provide more insight into cardio workouts that promote heart health and describe our top three exercises to encourage a healthy cardiovascular system.

Why Is Adopting an Exercise Routine Important for Those with Heart Disease and Elevated Blood Pressure?

Before delving into the various exercises you should try, let’s first talk about why aerobic exercise is important for you. 

The truth is that cardio workouts offer a plethora of benefits. They can increase blood circulation, reduce cholesterol and blood pressure, control weight, and lower the risk of contracting type 2 diabetes. This reduces the likelihood of developing heart disease.

If you already have poor heart health and high blood pressure, regular exercise can help to raise your heart rate., which is crucial for getting your high pressure and cholesterol levels under control.

A stronger immune system, better mood, higher stamina, and the ability to remain independent and active as you age are additional advantages of aerobic exercise.

Should You Warm Up and Cool Down Before and After Your Exercise Routine?

Exercise also requires warming up and cooling down, two crucial aspects that are frequently overlooked.

Warm Up Before Your Workout

Before exercising, you must warm up for your blood vessels to expand and ensure your body’s muscles have enough oxygen. 

Also, it raises the body temperature of your muscles to maintain the appropriate degree of flexibility and balance, which enhances their performance during activity. Warming up helps to gradually increase your heart rate, which lessens the strain on the heart. This will also minimize the possibility of experiencing irregular heartbeats when exercising.

Cool Down After Your Workout

After working out, it’s equally necessary to cool down. Your heart rate rises, your body temperature goes up, and your blood vessels dilate after physical activity. You can feel lightheaded or ill if you stop too suddenly. 

Following a workout with a proper cool-down regimen will lessen these occurrences, enable a gradual recovery of your vital signs, and help you return to normal.

Stretching exercises are advised during cool-down because they can aid in lowering the accumulation of lactic acid in the muscles. This can lessen cases of cramps and stiffness.

Our Top Three Workouts for Good Heart Health

Want to reduce your own body weight and maintain a healthy heart? Here are three exercises to try. 

Resistance Training

Resistance training, usually referred to as strength training, can aid with body composition. It can promote fat loss and the development of lean muscle mass, which is important if you’re someone who has high levels of body fat. 

Strength training, in addition to aerobic exercise, has been shown to increase high-density lipoprotein (HDL), which is good cholesterol, while lowering low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or bad cholesterol.

During resistance training, the primary muscular groups in your extremities, chest, shoulders, hips, abdominal region, and back should all be worked.

Strength Training Exercises to Add to Your Exercise Routine

We recommend performing two to three sets of each of the exercises mentioned below: 

• Training with resistance bands.
• Weight training with gym equipment.
• Lifting free weights. 
• Performing exercises such as push-ups, lunges, and sit-ups that do not require any additional equipment.
• High-intensity interval training.

Two days of non-consecutive exercise per week should be sufficient. Make sure you’re warming up and cooling down before and after your workout!

Aerobic Exercise

Cardio, sometimes referred to as aerobic exercise, offers a number of heart health benefits. It increases your stamina and is highly recommended because it raises your heart rate, which will cause you to work up a sweat. 

They also support reduced blood pressure, improved circulation, and promote blood sugar regulation, which is essential if you have diabetes.

Moderate Intensity Workouts to Try:

If you’re starting out, we recommend that you start slowly and gradually pick up the pace as your body becomes more accustomed to regular exercise. Here are a few beginner-friendly recommendations:

• Swimming 
• Riding a bicycle
• Walking

Level Up Your Cardio Exercise Program

When you’re ready to kick it up a notch, here’s what you should try:

• Brisk walking
• Hiking uphill
• Jogging
• Dancing
• Playing a sport

If you’re choosing a moderate-intensity workout, it should last 30 minutes, five days a week. However, if you’re doing more strenuous exercise, 30 minutes three days per week is sufficient to keep your heart healthy.

Stretching Exercises

Stretching or balance exercises and other flexibility-enhancing workouts may not immediately improve heart health, but they lower your risk of cramps, joint pain, and muscular stress when you perform heart-healthy routines.

Exercises designed to improve balance and mobility can also assist elders in maintaining stability and avoiding falls.

Examples of heart-healthy exercise include the lying hamstring stretch, shoulder extension, and quad knee extensions. 

There are several exercises you can choose from to add to your workout. Make sure you’re stretching all the major muscle groups and warming up and cooling down before and after your exercise routine. 

The Bottom Line

Keeping your heart healthy is one of the most important things you will ever do. Numerous studies have proven the effectiveness of physical activity on the cardiovascular system, so finding an exercise regime that works best for you is essential.

We recommend strength training, aerobic exercise, and stretching to keep the blood pumping and lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels. 

Make sure you’re warming up and cooling down properly to prevent injury and starting out slowly. 

Sources: 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6159802/

https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/the-many-ways-exercise-helps-your-heart

Exercise is important when it comes to maintaining good heart health. We all know how beneficial aerobic exercise can be, but is stretching good for your heart, too? 

In this article, we’ll explore the dangers of poor cardiovascular health and look at some scientific evidence supporting the claim that adopting a 12-week passive stretching regimen can help you keep your heart and blood vessels healthy.

The Dangers of Cardiovascular Disease

Any abnormality of the vasculature is referred to as “vascular disease.”

100,000 miles of blood vessels, including veins and arteries, comprise an adult’s vascular system. Serious issues with this system may result in discomfort, impairment, or even death. When arteries are compromised and not functioning correctly, it can lead to stroke, blood clots (pulmonary embolism), and heart attacks.

Good blood flow results in decreased systemic pressure, which lessens the likelihood of arterial wall injury. High blood pressure brought on by reduced blood flow from an injured artery or arteries increases the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Because it can be challenging to reverse once it persists, arterial stiffness is harmful. You should take action quickly and experiment with strategies like stretching to improve the arteries’ flexibility.

How Stretching Exercises Can Boost Heart Health

The main advantage of stretching for better heart health is its ability to considerably reduce stress levels, preventing many of the long-term negative consequences of long-term stress on the body. 

Stress overworks the sympathetic nervous system, resulting in high blood pressure and inflammation. Additionally, your muscles can grow more sensitive to insulin by performing various stretching activities, which helps to regulate your blood sugar levels. 

Stretching also causes the parasympathetic nervous system to become active, which instructs your body to calm down and breathe easier, improving cardiovascular health. This can therefore increase the advantages of a healthy diet and exercise, making it easier to achieve heart health.

What’s more, by stretching regularly, you can improve vascular endothelial function while you lower blood pressure, improving blood flow to major muscle groups.

New Study Shows Just How Beneficial 12 Weeks of Passive Stretching Exercises Can Be

According to a recent study conducted at the University of Milan in Italy, stretching for 12 weeks improved circulation, lowered blood pressure, and reduced artery stiffness. 

Good blood flow leads to a lower incidence of strokes and heart attacks because it causes less wear and tear on the arterial walls. High blood pressure, excessive cholesterol, and/or inflammation are common in those with arterial stiffness.

Test Method

Roughly 40 men and women were gathered and split into three groups during the study. One group stretched their legs, ankles, and feet for 40 minutes five days a week, whereas the other group limited their stretching to one side of the body for the same amount of time.

The third group, on the other hand, made no attempts to stretch.

Findings

12 weeks after the study’s conclusion, the blood vessel health of individuals in the two groups that had been stretching had dramatically improved. Their arteries were significantly less rigid, and their blood vessels’ performance improved.

The participants involved in the study did what is known as passive stretching, a technique that uses stretch bands and gravity to get a healthy stretch. Fortunately, performing this kind of stretching at home is simple.

Should Stretching Exercises Replace Aerobic Exercise to Lower High Blood Pressure and Improve Blood Flow? 

Even though stretching increased blood flow and blood vessel function, researchers have emphasized that the advantages of stretching for the cardiovascular system aren’t quite as substantial as engaging in aerobic activities such as jogging, walking, or bicycling. 

Stretching is a wonderful alternative, though, if you are only able to engage in movement at home and find it difficult to raise your heart rate. To find the best exercise regimen to improve your heart health, you should adopt a combination of stretching and aerobic exercise.

Moreover, stretching is not a substitute for other measures used to maintain a healthy heart. Keeping your weight under control, lowering high cholesterol, blood sugar, and/or systolic and diastolic blood pressure with healthy eating, and taking prescribed drugs as instructed, all aid in maintaining flexible vasculature and healthy blood flow.

Is Stretching Good for PAD Sufferers? 

Constricted, hardened arteries cause the painful condition known as peripheral artery disease (PAD). Your legs don’t typically get sufficient oxygen to support your activity when you have PAD, which causes pain. This is due to decreased blood flow to your legs.

Usually, doctors advise starting a walking routine to boost circulation to your legs and ease arterial stiffness. Although walking initially hurts, many PAD sufferers see symptoms improve over time. Particularly when they combine walking with other therapy methods.

However, for some, the initial pain is unbearable. This is why stretching offers so much promise in helping patients improve peripheral arterial stiffness.

What Are Some Effective Stretching Exercises

Here are a few exercises to kick-start your stretching exercise regimen:

The Kneeling Groin Stretch

To do this stretch, kneel on the floor with your right and left leg outstretched. Put your hands and forearms on the ground. Stretch your knees apart and lower your hips slightly. Hold this position for a minimum of 45 seconds.

Lying Hamstring Stretch

This exercise is an excellent substitute for traditional hamstring stretches. It works well if you have tight hamstrings but are unable to lower your head below your heart due to health concerns.

To do this stretch, find a wall you can lean against and lie down on the floor, placing both legs on the wall above. Slowly approach the wall, aiming to rest your legs entirely against it as you do so.

As you start to feel stretched out, stop and gradually go closer to the wall. Maintain this posture for 30-second intervals, adjusting your distance as necessary.

Final Thoughts

The results of this new study offer great promise for those suffering from vascular disease. However, stretching should not be a substitute for aerobic exercise and a good healthy diet. These three things can help you greatly improve your heart health when used in conjunction.