Think about it this way—when you want to have stronger arms, you exercise your muscles to strengthen them. The same is true for your heart muscle. To give it a boost, you have to exercise it. The fact is regular exercise is vital for heart health. Devoting as little as 30 to 60 minutes a day to exercise will help you reach and maintain a healthier weight and keep your heart healthier.
What’s More Important for My Heart: Diet or Exercise?
Diet and exercise are equally important components for a healthy heart. The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion recommends a diet with fewer foods containing saturated fats like red meat and dairy—including pizza, burgers, and anything with gravy. If you are like many Americans, you could probably stand to avoid added salt and sugar in your diet and shift your focus to fiber by adding fresh or frozen vegetables, beans and whole grains to your plate at every meal.
A diet of nutrient-dense foods limiting fat and added salt and sugar will help maximize the benefits of exercise for heart health. Check out these heart-healthy shopping tips.
It’s also necessary to get seven to nine hours of sleep daily, quit smoking if you smoke, limit alcohol consumption to one beverage a day for women to two beverages a day for men, and find ways to manage stress.
What You Can Do to Strengthen Your Heart
The latest Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommends that most adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week. As an alternative, you can also aim for 75 minutes of strenuous activity weekly.
But how do you strengthen your heart? Any activity that increases your heart rate counts toward that goal. There’s an added benefit, too. When you’re physically active, your heart pumps more blood each time it beats. This boosts oxygen to other parts of your body, allowing your organs to perform more effectively.
You’ve probably heard the terms “cardio” or “aerobic” for some types of heart-boosting exercise. These refer to workouts that raise your heart rate. Cardio exercise involves moderate-intensity and strenuous physical activity.
Moderate-Intensity Exercise Examples
- Bicycling at a speed less than 10 mph
- Brisk walking
- Dancing
- Water aerobics
Strenuous Exercise Examples
- Heavy yard work
- Swimming
- Hiking
- Running
- Stair-climbing
- Singles tennis
How Mixing It Up Can Boost Heart Health
Cardio exercise is only one component of a healthy workout routine. Strength training, also called weight training, and balance movements have a place in a regular workout rotation beneficial to the heart.
In addition to cardio activities, you should also consider strength training at least two days a week. During strength training, you use either your body weight or an external weight or resistance band to build stronger muscles throughout the body. This raises your metabolic rate so that you burn more calories even if you’re sitting still. Weight training also strengthens bones, tendons and ligaments, which helps protect against injuries.
While balance exercises may not directly affect heart health, they can help limit falls as you age, promoting physical activity for longer and contributing indirectly to a healthier heart.
How quickly will you see heart health benefits once you begin exercising? Your heart begins providing your body with more oxygen immediately. Within a couple of months, you may see your blood pressure and resting heart rate begin to fall.
If you’re new to exercise or returning to a routine, talk with your doctor to ensure your current health doesn’t limit the kind of exercises you can do. You could also work with a trainer at first, who can help you learn unfamiliar workout movements. Performing exercises correctly may protect you from injury and put you on the path to better health.
