The Best Exercises to LOVE Your Heart

February is all about love, so why not make sure to give some to yourself? And what better way than to love your heart? Heart health is a big topic because it not only affects every gender and age, but the number of those struggling with heart disease is growing. Starting today, do what you can to take care of your ticker!

The American Heart Association is celebrating 100 years of progress this year! And, because they know a thing or two about maintaining a healthy cardiovascular system, it’s important to note their advice. At the top of their list is exercise, followed by a healthy diet, limiting alcohol, and living a tobacco and drug-free life. Because exercise helps to lessen the risk of obesity, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, it is a great way to start (or maintain!) your heart healthy journey.

Current recommendations about quantity of movement vary for different age groups. Ideally, we would all get at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise a day five days a week. This is as simple as a brisk walk, which is an accessible place to start. For some, it may be more realistic to get a few days a week of longer duration. If you get about 150 minutes of aerobic activity a week, you are good to go!

Running, swimming, cycling, jumping rope or any other activity that gets your heart pumping is great for your cardiovascular system. Additionally, the American Heart Association recommends combining aerobic activity with strength training for even better results. Examples of this would be swimming(because the water acts as resistance), high intensity interval training, climbing stairs, walking on hills, cycling, circuit training and more.

If you want to dive in to better heart health this year, we offer many chances through our wide variety of group classes. All three of our locations in Greenfield, McCordsville and New Palestine have different schedules and offerings to choose from. Here are just a few of the classes you can find that will boost your heart health:

Getting more movement, specifically aerobic and resistance exercise, changes your body’s chemistry in amazing ways. Throughout the course of your workout, your heart will pump more blood throughout your body, delivering fresh oxygen to every vital organ, including your brain. You will also get a mood boost and a stress release from the help of chemicals such as endorphins.

Cardiovascular health isn’t just limited to your heart. You can also reduce your risk of stroke and many comorbidities that go alongside heart disease. Diabetes, cancer and chronic illnesses are just a few more disease you might be able to sidestep by paying attention to your cardiovascular health and getting to that exercise class.

It’s time to show your heart some LOVE. Start by heading to one of our group exercise classes for your daily dose of movement and FUN! Check out the schedule online for the location nearest you.