…Heart Healthy Workouts You’ll Love…

Getting fit and healthy requires motivation to change existing bad habits and make good ones. A lot of the motivation for getting fit is thinking about the impact a lazy lifestyle has on the body. It’s not just the muscles on your arms and legs, but your heart that you need to think about the most. Every time you nip into the gym or the doctor’s surgery, you’ll be faced with posters letting you know that just thirty minutes of exercise every single day is enough to keep your heart healthy. You also need to think about the foods you eat, and the effect they have on your organs.

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Thirty minutes of aerobic exercise doesn’t sound like a particularly long time, but for your heart it’s enough. It’s about keeping it beating harder and above your resting rate to get the blood pumping properly around your body. You don’t have to do thirty minutes at once; you can break it into smaller chunks and that’s where HIIT (high intensity interval training) comes into play. You can get yourself invested in classes and gym memberships, even taking personal trainer certifications to make your health your focus. You can teach others that smaller bursts of exercise will still have a positive effect on heart and lung health. There are some brilliant ways you can get your body moving to keep your heart as healthy as possible, and we’ve listed these for you here so you can get some great ideas about how to keep your heart in tip top shape.

Walk It Out: Walking is the number one way to get your heart rate up. It’s not only free, but it’s enjoyable. You can choose to pump the music up and speed walk everywhere you go, or you can stroll with the children in a pram or with a friend. It’s up to you the pace you take as long as it’s one that gets your heart pumping. It’s important to remember that aerobic exercise uses all the larger muscles in your body in a repetitive motion over time and walking hits that mark. It’s kinder on joints that can’t manage the impact of running. Walking is a fantastic way to raise the heart rate while being social, so leave the car in the drive and walk everywhere you go. You can invest in fitness watches like these that can track your heart rate and steps and you can turn it all into a contest!

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Step Fast: Aerobic exercise requires you to reach between 50-85% of your maximum heart rate. It doesn’t take long to get fit and regular exercise will allow this to happen for you. Climbing stairs is a great way of getting into that target range. We’re not suggesting you start running up and down your stairs at home, although please do feel free if you like! Head to the gym to use the stair master and start using the stairs at work instead of the elevator to get you to your floor. Small changes like these are great for heart and lung fitness and should be incorporated into your daily routine as much as possible.

On Your Bike: Cycling is one of the best low impact exercises you can do for your joints and your heart. The pumping motion you do when you push the pedals up and down is fantastic for the muscles in your legs as well as the heart. Investing in a stationary bike like this one for use at home will help when the weather is far too wet and unpleasant to cycle to work. You’ll need to make sure that you have positioned the pedals and seat at the correct distances so that you can feel comfortable and not overdo any muscles.

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Make A Splash: If you want exercise that works your whole body without impacting the joints, swimming is your best bet. Not only will you be able to keep all your muscles moving in a way that works your whole body, but your heart will be the recipient of all the aerobic benefits of moving through the water. Working your heart to its maximum while putting less stress on your bones and joints is a fantastic way of getting around conditions like arthritis. There’s never an excuse for not exercising if your body is working, and swimming is kind to the body while giving you a great workout.

Running Man: Elliptical machines like these are becoming ever more popular as an all-round at home workout. Most gyms invest in them and more and more people are buying them for home use. An elliptical machine gives you both an upper and lower body work out that sends the blood pumping around the body. As it’s an all-round aerobic exercise, your heart can work steadily up to a peak rhythm. It’s not a bad investment if you hope to have a healthy heart and lung fitness level.

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Dance The Night Away: More aerobics classes within sports centres are focusing on the fun aspect of exercise by introducing dances like Zumba. You only need some decent footwear and an element of fun and you could be doing some high or low impact footwork that ramps up your heart rate and your smile. This type of exercise is far easier to stick with as it has the fun attached and you can really enjoy yourself as you swirl around the dance floor.

Games Console: Rather than sit on a computer game and blow up the bad guys, why not invest in a Wii Fit? Interactive video games that have you leaping around the room to bat an imaginary tennis ball or doing boxing can increase your heart rate enough for a great workout. Half an hour a day on a games console goes by quickly!

You can do any number of these exercises for half an hour a day, five days a week and feel fantastic while you do it. Never miss a workout, even if all you’re doing is power walking around the local park. Love your heart and your body will love you for longer.

 

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