Are you looking to improve your heart health? Regular exercise is key to maintaining a healthy heart and can help prevent heart disease. Give these five different workouts a try to help you keep your heart rate up and your risk for heart disease down.
Walking
Grab your favorite pair of walking shoes and head outside or use a treadmill at your local Snap Fitness. Researchers say that walking is one of the easiest and most effective exercises for heart health. If you are new to walking for exercise, start small and incorporate a 10-15 walk after you eat lunch. As you get more comfortable, increase the intensity and duration of your walks to challenge yourself to at least 30 minutes a day.
Running
Want to take your daily walks to the next level? Give running a try! It provides a more intense cardiovascular workout than walking and can help improve your endurance and overall fitness level. Running also is one of the best ways to burn calories, lose weight, and reduce the risk of heart disease. If you are a beginner to running, start with a brisk walk and add 1 minute of running every couple of minutes. Once you become comfortable, increase the minutes you run.
Swimming
Swimming is a great low-impact exercise that can also improve your heart health and train your lungs. If you’re a beginner or getting back into the sport, start with a slow 5-10 minutes of lap swimming. As you get comfortable, mix in different strokes – freestyle, backstroke, butterfly, whatever you can do! The resistance of the water provides a challenging workout for your entire body (especially your heart!), no matter the swimming stroke you do.
Biking
If you’re looking for a great heart-healthy exercise that is easy on the joints, give biking a try! Whether you use a stationary bike in the gym or take a ride through the neighborhood, biking is an enjoyable and easy exercise to incorporate into your routine. Not only is biking a great cardiovascular workout, it’s also a great way to add strength to your lower body and core muscles. Start by biking for short distances with low resistance and gradually increase the intensity.
Strength Training
In addition to increasing muscle mass, strength training is also an excellent workout to get your heart pumping. When you increase your muscle mass, your heart can pump more efficiently over time. You can use a variety of weights, resistance bands, or even your own body weight to strength train. Check out our free fitness app for members, the Snap App, for access to strength training workout ideas and more.
Start incorporating these five different exercises into your routine to strengthen your heart and to help decrease the risk of heart disease. With regular exercise and a healthy diet, you can maintain a strong and healthy heart for years to come.