Don't Just Run for a Healthy Heart

Everyone knows running is good for the heart, but don’t just run for a healthy heart. There are many exercises that will benefit your heart—and the rest of your body along the way—that you may enjoy more than running. Perhaps the activity will prove to be so much fun that it won’t even feel like you’re exercising and on your way to a healthier heart. Whichever activity you do, just make sure it is intense enough to force you to breathe harder than normal, but still allows you to carry on a conversation.

The heart, although it is often not thought of as such, is a muscle, and just like the other muscles in your body, it needs to be worked out in order to keep it working efficiently. By keeping your heart in good shape, you will be minimizing your risk of coronary artery disease, which is when the inner lining of arteries that deliver blood to the heart have a buildup of cholesterol, fatty matter and other substances, and which can lead to a heart attack, chest pain, and blood clots. Therefore, the health of your heart is essential and will be improved by certain exercises that give it a good workout.

If the weather is nice outside, grab your bicycle and pedal towards a healthy heart. An intense half hour ride will do your heart as much good as running for that same amount of time, with the added benefit of being much easier on your knees due to it being a low-impact exercise. Just don’t overdo it if you are new to exercising; start out with shorter, less intense rides, and build up to longer and more rigorous ones.

Another fun exercise for a healthy heart is hiking, and though it may not be within your reach on a daily basis, it will provide an adventurous reprieve from your routine whenever you have the opportunity to do it. Hiking is usually cheap and affords a chance to be out in nature, but even better, it will definitely work out your heart even if you’re not climbing the trail as if you were being chased by a psychotic bear with a fondness for hiker boots. Of course, the more intensely you hike, the more your heart will benefit, but like with any other exercise, start out slowly and build up your endurance and intensity.

If you’ve got access to a pool, whether it is your own, or the one at the local gym or YMCA, swimming is a great exercise for a healthy heart while also benefiting the rest of your body. Because swimming is a low-impact exercise, just about anyone can do it, so even those who have been discouraged from other exercises due to aches and pains will be able to stick with it. Because of the water’s buoyancy, the body feels much lighter in water than on land, so those who are out of shape or suffer from ailments such as arthritis can use swimming as an exercise for their heart just as well and have just as much fun doing it as those who are fitter.

While running is a great way to build a healthy heart, there are other exercises that will do just as much good. In the end, doing something you enjoy will lead to the best results, as you will be motivated to do it regularly and will therefore bring the greatest benefit to your heart.

References:

American Heart Association