Exercise Routines To Kick-Start Your Heart Health
Preserving heart health is paramount, as you have only one heart. It’s crucial to nourish it properly and maintain a regular workout regimen for optimal strength.
In today’s fast-paced lifestyle, squeezing in exercise might seem challenging. Balancing work commitments and social life might make a gym visit appear tedious and time-consuming. Yet, infusing heart-healthy exercises into your routine can enhance heart function significantly, even within a tight schedule.
Understanding your physical boundaries is key. Some exercises, like running or hot yoga, can be demanding or potentially harmful for individuals with specific health issues. Consult a physician before undertaking rigorous routines, especially if you’re older or have been inactive for some time. Several low-intensity alternatives can help you stay fit without straining your body too much. If you require a motivational nudge, consider checking out Quick Home Workouts That’ll Make You Forget The Gym.
5. The Four-Minute Cardio Workout
Short on time? Here’s a 4-minute workout that swiftly elevates your heart rate, all from your living room. Follow along with the verbal and visual instructions for versatility.
This workout includes four exercises guaranteed to get you sweating:
- Fake jump rope
- Cross jacks
- Skaters
- Burpees
These exercises are repeated twice, each lasting 20 seconds with 10 seconds of jogging in between, allowing ample learning time. If the intensity becomes too much, feel free to pause the video and take a breather—no judgment here. If four minutes feels too brief, replay the video until you’re content with your workout intensity.
4. Thirty Minute Yoga Practice for Heart Health
Warning: If you have cardiovascular problems then some of these poses might be difficult.
When you’re upside down during yoga, your heart works harder to pump blood against gravity to your lower body. Try joining Lesley Fightmaster in this heart-boosting, calorie-burning, high-intensity interval training yoga class.
Before beginning, ensure you have the best yoga mat. The routine starts gently for warm-up—a vital step in any workout—progresses from moderate to high intensity, and concludes with a cool-down. Feel free to pause and resume the video whenever you need a break. Check out Lesley Fightmaster’s Yoga Class for a visual guide.
3. Kickboxing — No Equipment Required
Cardio kickboxing might initially seem awkward, but it’s an excellent cardiovascular activity. Not only does it boost muscle mass and burn calories (around 10-15 per minute), it also becomes intuitive with repetition.
Kickboxing typically involves a mix of hooks, kicks, and roundhouse kicks, offering multifaceted benefits beyond heart health. We recommend tracking your fitness level during this and other workouts with a heart rate monitor.
The additional perks of kickboxing include stress reduction, confidence boost, improved coordination, energy increase, and enhanced posture.
READ MORE: Count the Calories That Come Off! 5 Awesome Calorie Burning Workouts
2. Low-Impact 15-Minute Cardio Workout
Eliminate excuses. If you’ve ever believed that your body can’t handle intense workouts, reconsider. This rigorous routine elevates your heart rate without adverse effects on your body.
Ideal for novices and seasoned fitness enthusiasts, this low-impact cardio routine is outstanding. It’s concise, requires no jumping, and ensures a good sweat. Incorporating deep squats, side steps, and lunges, this routine challenges you without straining your joints. No jumping or harsh ground impacts are involved, making it joint-friendly while pushing your limits.
1. Thirty Minute Dance Cardio Workout
This easy-breezy dance routine will get your body moving and your sweat dripping in no time. Aside from the increased blood flow to your heart, you’ll also benefit from the head-to-toe strengthening of various muscle groups.
Grooving along to the music will help get you out of your head, and this total-body workout doesn’t skimp on the fun! It has great potential to improve your mood and can add to your moves the next time you go dancing with your friends. I think a celebrity choreographer said it best when he said, “Dancing gives you an essential boost for your mind, body, and spirit”.
Not all exercise routines are created equally. As such, there will be some that will have greater effects on your heart health than others. A well-balanced diet is a major contributing factor to a healthy heart.
Skipping on exercise and eating unhealthy foods are surefire ways to hurt your heart. Do you think you have a healthy heart? Do you already incorporate some of these routines into your daily regimen? We’d love to hear what works for you and what doesn’t. Please share your thoughts with us in the comments below. Also, please tell us which routine was your favorite!
