Exercise is key to staying healthy. Not only can it help you lose weight and build muscle, but it also has been shown to reduce stress and boost mood. It's no wonder that many people who exercise regularly also have healthier hearts than those who don't! At least 30 minutes of physical activity five days a week, which is an easy goal to set if you already follow this advice anyway. If not? Start small—try taking the stairs instead of the elevator once or twice per day—and work your way up from there over time. But how exactly does exercise improve heart health? It's all about blood flow!
Recommends at least 30 minutes of physical activity five days a week
ASFA recommends at least 30 minutes of physical activity five days a week. An active lifestyle can help you live longer, reduce your risk for heart disease and stroke, lower high blood pressure, and control cholesterol levels.
The goal is to be active for at least 150 minutes per week (about 30 minutes every day). You can break up the 150 minutes into increments of 10 minutes if it's easier for you -- for example two sessions of 10-minute brisk walks during the day; two sessions on an exercise bike; one session doing strength training exercises with weights or bands; one session doing yoga postures at home or in class; or any combination of these activities that adds up to 150 minutes per week.
Make sure you're doing the right type of exercise
- Strength training, walking, swimming, cycling, and other aerobic activities are the best ways to keep your heart healthy. These activities can be done on a regular basis without putting too much stress on your joints or muscles.
- Avoid high-impact activities such as jogging or aerobics if you have arthritis or other health problems that make it difficult for you to participate in these types of exercise safely.
- If you can't do 150 minutes per week (30 minutes five times) of any activity that raises your pulse rate above 100 beats per minute (bpm), then try increasing intensity gradually until it reaches this point.[1] This will help reduce the risk of injury and burnout when exercising regularly over time.[2]
- Choose an activity based on what interests you rather than trying something new just because someone else thinks it would be good for their health--it might not suit their needs at all!
Get moving with walking
Walking is one of the best ways to get started with exercise. It's low impact and can be done almost anywhere, so it's easy to fit into your daily routine. Walking also has many benefits for your heart health:
- It helps manage weight by burning calories, which lowers blood pressure and cholesterol levels
- It reduces stress on joints because there's less impact than other forms of exercise (like running or biking)
- You don't need any equipment for walking--you just need good shoes!
Strength training with weights and strength machines builds more muscle mass
Strength training is another way to stay active and build more muscle mass, which increases your resting metabolic rate. This means that you burn more calories even when you are not exercising. Strength training can help improve bone density and muscle tone, as well as flexibility and balance. You can strength train with weight machines or free weights (barbells). Machines are a good starting point for beginners because they provide an easy way to learn the proper form for each exercise before progressing to free weights. However, if you have access to barbells at home or in the gym then using these may be better than using machines because they offer more flexibility when performing exercises like squats and deadlifts.
Mix it up by varying your physical activity
Varying your physical activity can help you stay motivated and avoid boredom.
- Example: If you usually walk for 30 minutes in the morning, try biking instead. Or if you lift weights at home after work on Wednesdays, go for a run on Saturday mornings instead.
- You could also try changing up the time of day that you work out--for instance, if normally jog in the evenings but want to do something different today (or vice versa), then go ahead! The point is to keep things fresh so that they don't feel like drudgery when it comes time for exercise.
Increase intensity gradually to avoid injury, burnout, and overtraining
- If you're new to an activity or just starting a new exercise program, build up your activity level slowly over time by adding more repetitions or minutes each week until you reach 80% of your maximum heart rate (or whatever level feels like a good challenge).
- To avoid injury and burnout: choose one or two days per week for vigorous exercise; this will allow your body some rest time between intense workouts. You can also alternate between different types of physical activity throughout the week (walking one day, swimming the next).
- Signs that you're overtraining include excessive fatigue and soreness after exercising; changes in sleeping patterns such as insomnia; frequent injuries due to weak joints/ligaments from too much strain on them; weight loss despite increased calorie intake (this may be due not only to lack of appetite but also dehydration). If these symptoms occur while training hard enough every day then it might mean it's time for a break!
It's not just about the physical benefits
Regular exercise has been shown to improve your mood, help you sleep better, reduce stress and even help manage weight. Additionally, it can reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke by lowering blood pressure and improving cholesterol levels.
Exercise can help prevent heart disease and stroke
There are many benefits to exercising. It can help prevent heart disease and stroke, lower blood pressure and strengthen blood vessels so that blood flows easily through them (which reduces the risk of clots). Exercise also improves mood, sleep, and stress levels. It strengthens muscles and bones, improves balance and coordination, and lowers the risk of diabetes in general making you feel good!
Conclusion
Exercise is an important part of any healthy lifestyle and can help prevent heart disease and stroke, lower blood pressure and strengthen blood vessels so that blood flows easily through them. It's not just about the physical benefits; regular exercise can also help improve your mood, sleep, and stress levels.
