Exercises for Heart Health

How Exercise Improves Heart Health?

Exercise significantly improves heart health in multiple ways. Here’s how:

1. It strengthens the heart muscle.

2. It lowers blood pressure.

3. It increases HDL (good) cholesterol levels and helps lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglycerides.

4. It enhances blood circulation.

5. It improves blood sugar regulation.

6. It improves resting heart rate and heart rate variability, both markers of cardiovascular efficiency and health.

7. It helps maintain a health weight thereby reducing the load on your heart.

While these are great benefits, good heart health requires regular check-ups and testing to ensure you are in good shape. Hence, do not completely rely on exercises and good diet and consult your doctor regularly. The costs that come with regular checkups and testing can be managed with a great health insurance plan.

Best Exercises for Heart Health

The most effective heart exercises depend on your age, fitness level, and overall health. It's important to start gradually and increase intensity over time.

Moderate-intensity exercises that support heart health include:

• Brisk walking

• Cycling at a comfortable pace

• Dancing

• Water aerobics

• Gardening

• Yoga

Higher-intensity exercise for heart health include:

• Running or jogging

• Skipping

• Fast-paced swimming

• Aerobic dance

• Jump squats

• Stair climbing

How Much Exercise Is Needed Each Week?

Children under 5 benefit from staying active throughout the day. For those aged 5-17, at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity daily is recommended.

According to the American Heart Association, adults should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week. These can be combined and supplemented with muscle-strengthening exercises of moderate to high intensity.

In total, adults should target around 300 minutes of physical activity per week to maintain good cardiovascular health.

Target Heart Rate For a Healthy Heart

For individuals with a healthy heart, the target heart rate for moderate-intensity exercise is between 50-70% of your maximum heart rate. For vigorous exercises, it is about 50-85%. The maximum heart rate is determined by subtracting your age from 220. According to the American Heart Association, the following table projects the age-wise target heart rate for exercising:

What Happens if Your Heart Rate is Too High?

High heart rate during exercise can strain your heart, damage your blood vessels and may lead to adverse conditions. Also, it can result in overtraining syndrome. So, it is always wise to start slowly and keep your heart in the range of beneficial stress. If your heart rate is too high during exercise, slow down the activity or come to a resting position.

Keep monitoring the heart rate and wait until it comes to the normal range. Then you can start your activity again. If the heart rate is not coming down or feeling discomfort in the chest, seek immediate medical attention. Any treatment required can be covered under cashless health insurance so you don’t have to worry about your finances during a worrying time.

How Often Should You Check Your Heart Rate?

To ensure your heart rate stays within the target zone, it’s important to monitor it regularly. Check your heart rate before starting exercise, then track it every 10-15 minutes during moderate workouts. For intense activities, check your heart rate during rest intervals to stay within a safe and effective range.

Ways to Track Your Heart Rate

You can check your heart rate manually. The best places to check the pulse are:

• Wrists

• Inside elbow

• Any side of neck

• Top of your foot

Thankfully, there are many devices out there to check the heart rate. They include:

• Chest bands

• Smart watches

• Smart phones

• Wrist wearables

• Pulse oximeters

Tips to Make Exercise Part of Your Routine

Many of us feel exercise is a daunting task. Hence, self-motivation and some planning are more important to make exercise part of your routine. Start focusing on activities you enjoy like gardening, dance workouts, cycling or swimming. A small walk during a phone call or after meals also helps. Then you can incorporate other intense exercises when you get habituated to a routine. However, begin slowly by catering 10-15 minutes a day. Gradually increase the time and stick to a routine.