COVID-19 is an evolving pandemic that affects people of all ages. As we continue to learn about how COVID-19 affects the body, it is clear that people with existing heart conditions are at a heightened risk for serious illness.
The health of your heart depends on many factors diet, family and medical history, and exercise. Some of these factors are completely out of our control, such as family history. One factor that you have control over is your level of exercise. Your heart is a muscle that gets stronger the more you exercise it. Here are three exercises that are useful for optimal heart health.
Aerobic Exercise
These exercises work your heart. They raise your heart rate and make you breathe harder. Running, walking, hiking, swimming and biking are examples of these. Theses exercises can be fun. It's a good idea to find your target heart rate zone. Theses zones range anywhere from 50% to 100% of your maximum heart rate. Your maximum heart rate is determined by your age. Find the exercises that best suits your interest, experience and lifestyle.
Stretching
When you stretch you become more flexible. You should stretch after you've warmed up and finished exercising. Exercises such as Yoga and Pilates are great forms of exercise that involve a lot of stretching. Yoga can help lower blood pressure, increase lung capacity, and improve respiratory function and heart rate, and boost circulation and muscle tone. Yoga can also offer overall well being while also offering strength-building benefits.
Strength Training
Strength training usually involves weights, resistance bands or your own body weight for this. It's a good idea to do this 2-3 times per week. Be sure to let your muscles recover for a day between your strength training workouts. Many gyms and work out facilities have trainers that help set you up with a good plan to prevent injury while performing this kind of exercise.
At Corrielus Cardiology we promote heart healthy exercises. Come in and let us discuss the best exercises for you in your particular life stage and season.
Posted on behalf of Corrielus Cardiology
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