An Effective Cardiac Workout

 

As a muscle, a heart needs exercise to remain in conditioned. Exercise helps improve heart health, and can even reverse some heart disease risk factors. As a result of exercise, a heart can pump more blood through the body with every beat and continue working at maximum level, if needed, with less strain. The resting heart rate of those who exercise is slower, because less effort is needed to pump blood.

Exercise benefits the heart and circulation (blood flow throughout the body) by improving cholesterol and fat levels, reducing inflammation in the arteries and helping to keep blood vessels flexible and open. For the greatest heart protection, it is not the duration of a single exercise session that counts but the total weekly amount of energy expended. The American Heart Association recommends that individuals perform moderately-intense exercise for at least 30 minutes on most days of the week (2008 recommendations - now recently updated in 2018 to greater than 150 minutes weekly). Similar exercise guidelines have been issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the American College of Sports Medicine (30-60 minutes 3-5 days/week). These organizations are recommending aerobic exercise, but resistance (weight) training has also been associated with heart protection. It may offer a complementary benefit to aerobics. And studies show that yoga and tai chi, an ancient Chinese exercise involving slow, relaxing movements, may lower blood pressure almost as well as moderate-intensity aerobic exercises. So know that there are options when designing your ideal exercise program.
 
     Consider the logic of this concept, that for optimal cardiac conditioning, creating a routine combining low intensity aerobic, moderate intensity aerobic and resistance training sessions each week provides the most functionally relevant conditioning. The benefits of such a program affords us with a heart that is well equipped to deal with any and all forms of stressors we encounter in our daily activities. Ultimately, this is what we are training our hearts to do.

     With any exercise program safety is an issue. To reduce the risk of injury or complications and make exercise more enjoyable there are a few things we must all do (or at least consider doing if we develop any possible risks). If over 40 years old it is recommended that you speak to a doctor first before starting any new exercise program. Chose a type of exercise you are more likely to stay with over the long-term. Perform your activity at a level in which you can carry on a conversation while exercising. This "talk test" provides a general rule of thumb to help you determine if a particular activity is too strenuous for you (the proper intensity of your workout).
 
     The specific design of an individual exercise program depends on the person, their age, level of fitness, basic health and personal interests. Doing something is proven better than doing nothing at all, so no one should abandon all exercise if they feel they cannot meet suggested guidelines. Knowing the guidelines provides a target for educated structure. Use these to create a program you can enjoy. Run, dance, walk, lift weights, and plan these activities with friends or alone, in a gym, in a park, at a nightclub or at home. Be creative, but be active.