Any exercise will do as long as that gets its rate up and keeps it there for at least 20 to 30 minutes. That generally means any aerobic activity, whether its running, swimming, cycling, or brisk walking. The best exercise for the heart are those that sustain our heart rate for a long time. Consider doing aerobics workouts several days a week and combining them with strength training, yoga, or Pilates. Your cardiovascular system will reap the rewards, and so will the rest of your body.
The right intensity when it comes to our heart is working out harder isn't necessarily better. You should aim for moderate intensity 50 to 70 percent of your maximum heart rate. A more vigorous pace won't do any damage, but you won't be able to keep it up for a long period of time. And sustaining the elevated rate is what benefits you. You're better off doing 30 minutes of moderate exercise than 10 minutes of hard exercise.
How to know if we are in the right intensity? Here's how Think of a scale from 1 to 10 with 1 being the slowest possible exercise pace and 10 the most vigorous. Aim for an intensity of 6 or 7 so your working hard but not exhausting yourself. Or crunch some numbers: To find your target heart rate, subtract your age from 220 and multiply the result by 0.6 (for moderately intense activity). That's what you should shoot for.
Can exercising too hard cause a heart attack? If you're already fit no. But if you've been sedentary, doing too much too fast can put undue strain on our heart, the same way it can in any muscle. If you haven't been exercising at all, clear it with your doctor first. Then gradually increase how much you do.
Cooling down after a sweaty gym stints falls low on the priority of most people who do some workouts. But slowly returning your heart rate and blood pressure to normal is important because it reduces the risk of injury. It also makes you forget the pain of a good workout, increasing the chances you'll do it again. Here some tips on how to cool down smart and finish after a sweaty workout:
- After you lift weights try to do this = Pamper the muscles you've just worked by stretching for 5 minutes, slide sore body parts over a foam roller. Finally, try a contrast shower alternate between 3 minutes of hot and 1 minute of cold. Cold water shots slow your metabolism and take down swelling to lessen the like hood of soreness overload.
- After you do some Running try to do this = finish up with light intervals, Run at a challenging pace for 20 to 25 seconds, then walk or jog for a minute or two. Repeat three to five times. Then stretch your calves, glutes, groin, hamstrings, hip flexors, and quads. This will help post run carbs get into your muscle cells to replace lost glycogen.
- After you do some Swimming try to do this = Dip underwater five or six times, and each time blow out your air. Then swim one tenth the distance of your workout, nice and easy. Though the impact-free nature of swimming feels relaxing, a cool down is critical to slowing your heart rate and preventing muscle cramps and injuries.
- After you do some Biking try to do this = Spin easy for 10 to 20 minutes. Then treat muscle soreness with ice, rub the aching area for 10 minutes, and rub again. Repeat for up to an hour.
