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How to Strengthen Heart Health and Improve the Cardiovascular System Through Exercise

6 minutes read
Cycling can strengthen heart muscles and lower blood lipid levels, which is beneficial for your cardiovascular system.
Cycling can strengthen heart muscles and lower blood lipid levels, which is beneficial for your cardiovascular system.
Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are one of the leading causes of death globally. Therefore, the health of your heart, blood, and blood vessels is extremely important. Regardless of your age, active exercise and maintaining an overall healthy lifestyle are the cornerstones of heart health.
 
Exercise is one of the most effective ways to enhance myocardial function and improve cardiovascular health. 
 
The World Health Organization recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of intense exercise per week (or a combination of both), and it's best to also include two strength training sessions. The more varied your workouts, the better, and the more frequently you practice, the better. However, adding some gentle exercise to your daily routine is a good start.
 
Studies have shown that regular exercise helps maintain heart health and promote overall well-being. Regular physical activity can even reverse the effects of prolonged inactivity and help prevent many potentially life-threatening diseases, such as heart failure and stroke.
 
Let's dive deeper into what cardiovascular health is, why it is so important, and how exercise can promote heart health!

What is Cardiovascular Exercise?

The cardiovascular system works around the clock to deliver nutrients and oxygen-rich blood to parts of the body while collecting and transporting deoxygenated blood to and from the lungs.
 
Cardiovascular health measures the efficiency of your cardiovascular system's functions and the ability of your heart, lungs, and muscles to absorb and utilize oxygen, especially during exercise. Thus, cardiovascular health is a good indicator of overall physical condition and health.
 
When it comes to heart health, aerobic exercises and any sustained heart-lung activity are considered the most beneficial cardiovascular exercises. These include walking, jogging, running, cycling, or swimming.
 
The benefits of exercise are manifold, such as strengthening the heart and blood vessels while improving the oxygen circulation throughout the body. These exercises also help lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, reducing the risk of heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, stroke, and certain types of cancer.
 
However, it is important to remember that duration, intensity, and variety are the keys to maximizing the benefits of physical activities and improving heart health.
Walking, jogging, and running are amongst the most beneficial cardiovascular exercises.(Image Source: Getty Images)
Walking, jogging, and running are amongst the most beneficial cardiovascular exercises.(Image Source: Getty Images)

Aiming for Regular Exercise

Timing your workouts is crucial to maintaining motivation, but do not forget to let your body rest and recover.(Image Source: Getty Images)
Timing your workouts is crucial to maintaining motivation, but do not forget to let your body rest and recover.(Image Source: Getty Images)
Whether it's running, jogging, walking, or working out at the gym, the most important thing is to exercise regularly.
 
Aim to do at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise several times a week. If you are a beginner, start with at least two days a week, 15 minutes per session, and gradually increase to 30 minutes.If you are on medication or have a chronic illness, it is essential to consult a doctor to find the most suitable exercise for you before starting a fitness plan.
 
To stay motivated and consistent, start simple. Choose the sports you enjoy, set achievable goals, create a gradual plan, and find a workout partner or community to maintain accountability. These simple tips can boost your fitness motivation.
 
However, persistence does not mean training every day without rest. Pushing yourself too hard could be counterproductive, hindering progress or leading to injury. Always consider recovery time and rest days to allow your body to repair and restore itself post-exercise.
 
Switch between low-intensity aerobic exercises like swimming, cycling, and rowing, and high-intensity activities like jogging, running, and jumping rope. Alternating between high and low-intensity training gives your body time to strengthen itself while fully recovering without the need for a full rest day.
 
In summary, adopting a balanced approach allows you to maximize health benefits and prevent injuries.

Push Yourself a Little More, But Progress Gradually

To burn more calories and build muscle, you can alter your daily workouts by increasing difficulty, speed, and intensity. (Image Source: Getty Images)
To burn more calories and build muscle, you can alter your daily workouts by increasing difficulty, speed, and intensity. (Image Source: Getty Images)
You want to work hard enough to see improvements in your health without pushing yourself to the point of exhaustion. To challenge your cardiovascular system effectively, your workouts should get your heart rate up and make you sweat. As you push yourself, your heart and lungs will work harder, adapting to new pressure and becoming stronger.
 
Try to gradually increase the difficulty of your workouts each week by about 10% to 20%. This applies to the time invested, walking distance, and exercise intensity. For instance, you can start by cycling for 20 minutes in the first week, then increase it to 25 minutes in the next week. If you are walking, you can pick up the pace or walk uphill to increase resistance. If you are jogging, you can incorporate sprint intervals or push yourself to a level that feels "challenging but doable".
 
While you don't need to push yourself throughout the entire workout, introducing short periods of more intense activity can significantly benefit your cardiovascular health.

Fitness Plans Shouldn't Remain Static

Although aerobic exercises are considered crucial for heart health, they are not the only exercises that can enhance your cardiovascular system.
 
A comprehensive fitness plan that includes endurance, strength training, and flexibility exercises can create positive challenges for your body. Varied workouts keep your body agile and optimize your training and cardiovascular health. Additionally, repeating the same routine can lead to boredom, making it harder to stay disciplined and increasing the risk of repetitive stress injuries.
 
Aerobic exercises, resistance training or strength training, and flexibility are critical components of any training plan. While flexibility exercises may not directly promote heart health, they provide a good musculoskeletal foundation for other exercises, leading to better and more efficient performance. Incorporate a few strength training sessions each week, or swap one session for yoga. Remember to warm up, stretch, and cool down before and after each workout.
 
Although cardiovascular diseases, especially heart disease, are the leading causes of death globally, they are also some of the most preventable health conditions.
 
Studies show that simple lifestyle adjustments can make a significant difference. Paying attention to heart health and maintaining a well-functioning cardiovascular system are things you can do daily. Watch your diet, quit smoking if you smoke, exercise regularly, and manage stress.

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Change up your workouts every week. (Image Source: Getty Images)
Change up your workouts every week. (Image Source: Getty Images)
Reference:
American Heart Association. 2018. American Heart Association Recommendations for Physical Activity in Adults and Kids. [online] Source: <American Heart Association Recommendations for Physical Activity in Adults and Kids | American Heart Association> [Accessed on May 28, 2022 ]
 
NIH. National Library of Medicine. 2019. Changes in Physical Fitness After 12 Weeks of Structured Concurrent Exercise Training, High-Intensity Interval Training, or Whole-Body Electromyostimulation Training in Sedentary Middle-Aged Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial. [online] Information Source: <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6492765/> [Accessed on May 28, 2022]
 
NIH. National Library of Medicine. 2021. Benefits outweigh the risks: a consensus statement on the risks of physical activity for people living with long-term conditions. [online] Source: <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih .gov/pmc/articles/PMC8995821/> [Accessed on May 28, 2022]
 
NIH. National Library of Medicine. 2019. American College of Sports Medicine Roundtable Report on Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, and Cancer Prevention and Control. [online] Source: <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ pmc/articles/PMC6814265/> [Accessed on May 28, 2022]
 
NIH. National Library of Medicine. 2020. Interventions for promoting physical activity in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). [online] Source: <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/ PMC7160071/> [Accessed on May 28, 2022]

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