Three Exercises to Help Prevent and Manage Heart Disease

Woman running in the woods

It’s widely known that physical activity reduces the risk of heart disease. In fact, the American Heart Association recommends that adults get a minimum of 150 minutes per week of moderate aerobic exercise or 75 minutes per week of vigorous aerobic activity–or a combination of moderate and vigorous exercise. They also recommend adding muscle-strengthening activities to your routine at least twice a week. 

However, are some exercises better than others when it comes to heart health? The answer is YES! 

We’ve done the research and found that these three exercises are some of the best for heart disease prevention.

Top Three Exercises for Heart Health

Walking

The American Heart Association is a huge advocate for walking as a form of moderate aerobic exercise. It’s a simple, efficient and inexpensive way to get and stay active, no matter your fitness level. As your stamina increases, you can walk longer distances at a faster pace. If you’re finding it difficult to get motivated to go for a walk, join or start a walking club

Interval Training

Cardiologist Arthur Agatston, MD said that interval training is “unrivaled for preventing heart disease and diabetes, losing weight and efficiently improving fitness.” Interval training combines short bursts of high-intensity training with slightly longer periods of active recovery. This type of training consistently raises and lowers your heart rate, which improves cardiovascular function. You can modify the types of exercises and how long you perform them based on your fitness level. This is another reason interval training is great – it’s accessible for every person.

Yoga

According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, you don’t have to rev up your heart rate to prevent or manage heart disease. Many of their researchers, as well as other outside scientists and physicians, have found that yoga is very good for the heart. Yoga relaxes the body and the mind, thus reducing stress. Regular yoga practitioners have also reported having lower blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose levels. Yoga also improves flexibility, muscle strength and balance.

Along with these three exercises, being active throughout your entire day will help make you a healthier person. Whether you get that activity through cleaning, gardening, or taking the stairs rather than the elevator, there are simple ways you can improve your cardiovascular health by adding a bit of extra activity to your everyday life. 

When you’re more physically active, your body is going to require more sleep. Learn more about how to sleep your way to heart health on our blog.

Mobile Heart Specialists offers complete cardiac services with five specialists. Whether you seek current treatment or a proactive approach to your heart health, you can call us today at (251) 433-4700 to schedule an appointment with one of our specialists.

Resources
Prevention.com
Johns Hopkins Medicine
American Heart Association