All of us want to live longer. I’m sure if you’ve scrolled through social media, you have probably seen countless ads recommending fitness plans, gym memberships and services promising to reverse your age. They may tell you to drink this juice if you want to reduce your age by 10 years or take this pill to prolong your life and ward off diseases. But nothing beats exercise.
When we think of exercise, we rarely think of its effects on our hearts and how it can help us to prolong our life. Prioritizing heart health can significantly slow the ageing process by improving blood flow, delivering oxygen and nutrients to cells more efficiently, and reducing the risk of chronic conditions. Studies show that a strong cardiovascular system supports cellular repair and regeneration, helping you feel and look younger over time.
Even being physically active for a short period of time can lead to a substantially lower risk of heart attacks for women. According to Tyler Elliott, Registered Clinical Exercise Physiologist and teaching fellow from the University of Auckland, being physically active can reduce your risk of developing chronic health conditions, including cardiovascular disease.
He said, “[Exercise]….reduces your risk from dying from cardiovascular disease, or metabolic diseases like diabetes or chronic kidney disease. It also improves your overall well-being and function so that as you age you can live a more fulfilling life.”
With benefits ranging from lowering blood pressure, controlling blood sugar, increasing your energy levels and improving your mood and sleep, to learn more, we asked Tyler Elliott for his top recommendations on exercises to boost cardiovascular fitness. His curated list of exercises are split into two types of excerises, daily activities and to incorporate into your routine for better heart health.
Incorporating exercise into your daily life can take many forms, from everyday activities to structured workouts. Here’s how you can make it work for you:
Exercise Recommendations for Better Cardiovascular Health
Daily Activities
Transform your commute into an opportunity for fitness. Walking or cycling to work are excellent ways to incorporate activity into your routine. If driving or public transportation is unavoidable, consider simple adjustments, like parking farther away or getting off the bus a stop early to fit in a short walk.
Household chores such as cleaning, gardening, or yard work are also great ways to stay active. For those in physically demanding jobs, the energy expended during work tasks can contribute to your overall fitness levels as well.
Structured Exercise
Engaging in deliberate, structured physical activities, often referred to as exercise, is another effective way to boost your heart health. Aerobic exercises, which focus on improving cardiovascular fitness, are particularly beneficial. Some great options include:
- Walking: A low-impact way to get your heart rate up.
- Running: A more vigorous option for those who want to push themselves.
- Cycling: Both outdoor and stationary biking are effective.
- Swimming: A full-body workout that’s easy on the joints.
- Jump Rope Skipping: A fun, high-intensity cardio option.
If you prefer gym equipment, machines like the rowing machine or elliptical trainer can provide excellent aerobic workouts.
Why Aerobic Exercise?
Aerobic activities are especially powerful for heart health because they enhance blood circulation, reduce blood pressure, and lower resting heart rate. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, these exercises are among the best for boosting cardiovascular health.
The Amount of Exercise You Should Do
Tyler suggested that we should try to accumulate around 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a week. Most people normally do 30 minutes a day for 5 days a week.
Moderate intensity will vary from person to person. If you’re quite fit, you might need to do higher-intensity exercise like running. If you’re just starting out and you’re wanting to improve your health, then it could be something simple like walking.
The best way to know whether you’re working out hard enough is to see if you’re breathing a little bit harder than you normally breathe when you’re resting. You should also notice a very slight increase in your heart rate as well. That doesn’t mean that you need to be sweating and breathing really hard, but you instead look for a slight increase in the demands on your cardiovascular system, because this is when you will start to notice improvements in your fitness.
If you don’t have the time to do 30 minutes of exercise in one go, you could also do a few consecutive bouts of exercise throughout the day. For example, you could take a 10-minute walk during your lunch break and ride your bike for 20 minutes on your way back home from work.
It’s very easy to implement exercise into your life. Whether it’s cycling to work instead of driving or it’s choosing to walk up a flight of stairs instead of using the elevator. The more that you exercise, not only will you find that you reduce your risk of dying from heart disease, but your heart health will also improve.
