4 Heart-Healthy Exercises & Tips to Try this Valentine's Day

It’s that time of year again – that time when our collective attention turns toward our hearts and the way they make us feel… American Heart Month. (Wait, you were expecting something else?)

We kid, but heart disease continues to top the list of medical dangers in our country. The power is in your hands (and arms, legs, feet, and body overall) to change that.

Here are just four heart-healthy exercises to help you get started:

1. Care about Cardio: Daily aerobic exercise that gets the body moving and the blood pumping is essential for a well-rounded, healthy lifestyle. Experts recommend 150 minutes of moderate movement per week, which means squaring away a half-hour every day to bike, run, walk, swim, shoot hoops, ski, skate, bowl, box, and more. Choose your own adventure, and watch fitness fall into place.
2. Flex those muscles: Strength or resistance workouts should be the next item on your heart-healthy exercise schedule. Individuals who are overweight are at a higher risk of heart disease, America’s number one killer. Resistance exercises like weightlifting (bench or free weights), resistance bands, and body-resistance regimens contribute to lean muscle mass while reducing fat. Aim for at least two non-consecutive days and implement along with regular cardio to boost your good cholesterol (HDL) and cut down on the bad.
3. Breathe deeply: Every single one of us is continuously dealing with our personal day-to-day stresses, compounded by one of the longest-running periods of uncertainty and anxiety we’ve perhaps ever encountered. And stress is so very hard on our hearts. Exercise can help us shut out the world and focus on our physical and mental well-being. Yoga classes and meditation techniques can help us re-center and get ready to face the day ahead. Be sure to take this critical time for yourself every week, if not every day.
4. Stretch for success: Stretching, alone, won’t necessarily make your heart heartier, but it does set your body up for long-term success by strengthening and maintaining your musculoskeletal system, which every exercise you do depends on. Ask a certified personal trainer about hamstring stretches, which strengthen the muscles at the back of your thighs, and lateral hip stretches, which improve elasticity and ward off ailments like lower-back and knee pain.

Fitness Together Ellicott City specializes in heart-healthy exercises that will help you reach your unique goals while warding off cardiovascular concerns and diseases like type 2 diabetes. We want you to fall in love with a healthier lifestyle. Give us a call at 410-750-2228 or stop by our studio today to learn more.