With heart disease being the leading cause of death in the US, Gold’s Gym SoCal wants to help you take smart steps to a healthy heart. One of the best ways to prevent heart disease is exercise, but what kind of workout is best? If you’re already a senior, are there exercises for the aging that make a difference?
Here’s what you need to know about exercises to keep your heart healthy:
Guidelines for Exercises to Keep Your Heart Healthy
As a muscular organ, your heart needs to work to stay strong! Some types of exercise are better for your heart than others- and some can overwork your heart, doing damage. Experts recommend that you:
- Get 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of intense aerobic activity each week
- Be active in simple, little ways every day to avoid being completely sedentary
- Increase your activity levels gradually
With these goals in mind, use the following guidelines to build a plan for taking care of your heart.
The Best Types of Exercise for Heart Health
There are three types of exercise that benefit your heart most, and they each help in a different way. A combination of all three types works best!
Cardio/Aerobic Activity
Working your heart directly, cardio activity gets your blood pumping. This burns calories, builds endurance, and reduces your risk of heart-related diseases. Brisk walking counts as moderate cardio, while running qualifies as intense aerobic exercise.
Resistance/Strength Training
When you complete strength training like lifting or using resistance bands, you improve your full-body health, which is good for your heart. You can also shed fat through strength training, which helps your heart function healthily and reduces cholesterol.
Flexibility/Stretching Based Movement
Although flexibility exercises don’t work your heart much, they do lay a foundation so you can practice cardio and strength training safely! Yoga is a great example.
What to Avoid
Muscles can be strained or damaged if you overdo it. It’s not good for your heart to take on too much, too fast either. When you’re out of shape, don’t jump right into intense exercise. Build up your regimen over time.
Work with a personal trainer to be sure you’re working your way up to your goals safely. If you’re taking fitness classes, ask the instructor about adaptations to protect your heart while you gain endurance or strength.
Heart Healthy Classes
Classes can be a great way to take care of your heart. Whether you start with a light yoga class and do cardio on your own time or want to jump right into heart-healthy classes to get your moderate-intensity workouts in, Gold’s Gym SoCal has great options for you.
Our GOLD’S STUDIO classes, like GOLD’S BURN ™ or GOLD’S FIT®, are a fun, smart place to start. Plus, remember how stretching-based exercise helps you prep for more intense workouts? Here’s a FREE 21 Day Yoga Transformation Guide for building your foundation.
Gold’s Gym SoCal is an association of separate clubs—click here for info.
