5 Exercises for a Healthy Heart

One needs to keep the heart healthy to live a longer and healthier life. The heart rate can change in seconds, depending on what an individual does and feels at every moment. When an individual stands, sits or exercises vigorously, it affects the heart rate. To have a healthy heart, the aim is to get the heart rate up often enough, so that it settles down into a slow rate at rest.

The following exercises are recommended for a healthy heart:

1) Swimming: The effect of immersing one’s body in water itself reduces stress. Swimming enables one to use the muscles in one’s body that might never be used otherwise. It can lead to a host of other benefits, such as:

• Reduced heart rate
• Improved breathing
• Improved circulation
• Better blood pressure
• Weight control, etc.

2) Cycling: To counter the sedentary lifestyle of an individual, cycling is a healthy and low-impact exercise. It can be enjoyed by all ages and it gives the heart, blood vessels and lungs a good workout. Regular cycling reduces the risk of health problems such as stroke, heart attack, etc.

3) Brisk walking: It is said that every step is a part of journey to good heart health. Regular brisk walking can reduce the risk of a heart attack, lower LDL (bad) cholesterol, and raise (good) HDL cholesterol, lower blood pressure, help manage weight, and improve one’s mood.

4) Running: Running can build up the fitness and endurance of the heart. It can also reduce the fat content surrounding the heart and inside the blood vessels. Running provides long term strength training to the heart, which helps in maintaining and increasing the fitness level of the heart.

5) Aerobics: This is the type of exercise that benefits your heart most. Over time, aerobic exercise can help your blood pressure and improve your breathing, and then your heart won’t have to work as hard during exercise.

Source: healthmeup.com