Aerobics and Cardio, a Mantra to Healthy Heart

Just a healthy diet will not give you a healthy heart but a healthy lifestyle will. Adding just 30 minutes of exercises like cardio and aerobics, your daily routine, can do wonders for your heart. “It is not ‘just exercise’ which is important for a good heart, I'd rather call it ‘Awareness’. You need to be aware of your heart's conditions and how much you are allowed to push it to give it the exercise that it needs. You need to be aware of what foods are good for your heart and what is bad and how much you are allowed to cheat when it comes to diet. You need to be aware of your mental health as that directly impacts your heart.” says Dr. Divya Marina Fernandes, Consultant - Heart Failure Specialist & Interventional Cardiologist.

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How can Exercise Make our Heart Healthy?

”Primarily due to our sedentary lifestyle, exercise has become very essential not only for your heart but for the whole body. Cardio exercises especially when performed in the aerobic band have proven to improve the cardiac and lungs tolerance, improving the blood flow within the body and preventing heart attacks and strokes in the long run. Exercise protects you from long term damage due to diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol and keeps your bone joints stress free too.” adds Dr. Divya

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What are the Best Exercises for Your Heart?

Brisk walking, running, swimming, cycling, playing tennis and jumping rope. Heart-pumping aerobic exercise is the kind that doctors have in mind when they recommend at least 150 minutes per week of moderate activity to maintain a healthy heart.

“A combination of both cardio and strength training is recommended. Aerobic exercises like playing badminton, running, cycling and swimming can be done by both youngsters and elderly according to their capacity. Weight training helps strengthen your muscles including the cardiac muscle, bones and joints. It helps you lose deep adipose fat which often causes heart attacks and strokes. Any form of moderate exercise for at least 150 mins in a week is protective for the heart. Over exerting yourself in the gym from prolonged hours can put pressure on your heart and your joints and can cause problems in the long run. Listen to your body and stop when necessary.” says Dr. Divya.

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How much should You Exercise to have a Healthy Heart?

At least 150 minutes per week of moderate activity is recommended. “Walking is one of the easiest and most economical forms of exercise. Regular walks strengthen the heart muscle. The pumping of blood improves as the muscle strength improves, this causes the blood flow to improve and move better, thus lowering blood pressure. 30-40 mins of walk at least 5 days a week regularly will help reduce blood pressure by 5-10 mmHg,” says Dr. Divya

Exercise and Diet, both key to Healthy Heart and Lungs

Along with exercise, diet is also important to keep your heart healthy.

Some Dietary Tips include:

• Controlling portion size
• Adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet
• Selecting whole grains
• Choosing lean proteins
• Avoiding junk food
• Limiting salt

It is important to exercise to maintain a healthy heart and with dietary modifications a healthy lifestyle can be achieved.


Source-Medindia