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While eating healthy is essential to keep our bodies going, exercise is just as important. To get heart healthy benefits, it is imperative to get your heart rate up. There are many ways you can do this, from structured exercise programs to little daily walks. All physical activity you do throughout the week adds up. Here are some tips from personal trainers to help you get the most out of your exercise program and find the right one for you.
An excellent way to increase your heart rate is to perform 30 minutes, or more, of aerobic exercises a day. This includes climbing the stairs, a brisk walk, an exercise machine such as an elliptical or treadmill, and much more. If you find it tough to push yourself to work out alone, there are many great group activities you can participate in, such as a Zumba or yoga class. Getting your heart rate up exercises your heart, which in turn means you are exercising your body.
Strength training is a great way to compliment your 30 minutes of aerobic exercise and can help prevent age-related bone and muscle-mass loss. Strength training does not increase your heart rate like aerobic exercise, but it does increase your stamina. You can use it to target specific muscle areas you want to tone. To begin strength training, start slowly and build up to heavier weights and repetitions. Three 20-minute sessions a week of strength training can be extremely beneficial to your body and how it performs.
Sticking to a schedule can help to make daily exercise easy to implement. If you don’t have time to do a consecutive 30-minute workout, fit shorter and more frequent workouts in during the day. A great way to do this is allocating 5-10 minutes every couple of hours to getting up and moving. Taking the stairs instead of the elevator, parking your car farther from the door, and house chores like vacuuming or mowing the lawn are great ways to get moving that contribute to your daily exercise time. It is also essential when following an exercise regimen to regularly stretch. Consider at least 10 minutes of stretching twice a week to help keep you flexible and decrease the chances of injury. Cooling down after any workout is also equally important to decrease the chances of injury.
