| Exercise for a Healthy Heart Regular exercise helps maintain heart healthy. A complete exercise program should contain both aerobic exercise and strength exercise. However, aerobic exercise has the most benefits for your heart. Before exercising, one should always stretch and warm up beforehand. Stretching loosens up your muscles, increases flexibility and helps prevent injury. Aerobic Exercise (Cardiovascular Exercise) Aerobic exercises are vigorous sustained physical activities that improve the circulatory and respiratory efficiency. These exercises demand the use large muscle groups. Some examples are jogging, swimming, bicycling, tennis, and walking. If you have been not been exercising regularly for a while, you should start slow and exercise for a short duration. You should not get over-enthusiastic at the beginning and overexert yourself. Overtime, you should gradually increase your exercise to 20 to 30 minute session and at least three to four sessions a week. Strength Exercise Strength exercises are physical activities for increasing muscular strength and size. This is achieved by repeated muscle contractions until the muscle becomes tired. Free weights (dumbbells) and weight machines are usually used for strength exercises. For people with heart failure, consult your doctor before commencing any strength exercise. Precautions If at any time the following conditions appear, one should immediately stop exercising and consult a doctor. • shortness of breath • irregular heartbeat or heart palpitations • pain around chest area or anywhere else in the body • dizzy or lightheaded • any other symptoms that cause concern |
Exercise for a Healthy Heart
Cardiovascularweb
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