Best Exercise for Heart Patients

Making small changes to your lifestyle can help you stay healthier and live longer. Being physically active is one of the significant steps in keeping yourself fit and strong. It is an effective way of keeping your weight under control and strengthening your heart muscle.

Physical activity also helps prevent artery damage from high blood pressure, high blood sugar and cholesterol that can cause a heart attack or stroke. When done regularly, exercise improves your heart’s ability to pump blood throughout your body. This helps in increased blood flow and oxygen to your muscles.

Here’s a list of the best exercises you can incorporate into your daily life to prevent heart complications. You can pick the ones that suit your requirements depending on the severity of your ailment:

Walking

One of the simplest ways of improving your heart health is walking. Yes, you heard it right! Walking, especially speed walking, is the best cardiovascular exercise. It can increase your heart rate without putting in much effort.

You can begin to walk slowly for smaller periods and gradually increase the speed and time. Walking can be beneficial, especially if you are a heart patient with stents.

A 30-minute brisk walk every day can make a massive difference to your heart health.

Swimming

If you are wondering whether you can swim with heart disease or not, the answer is yes! Swimming is one of the best exercises for cardiac patients recommended by doctors. It is an aerobic exercise that strengthens your entire body and heart and is also easy on your joints.

So, if you don't want to walk on hot sunny days, swimming can be an ideal way of keeping your heart strong and healthy.

Weight training

Building your body muscles can also improve heart function. Weight training helps burn fat and build muscle mass that contributes to a healthy heart.

You can join a gym for weight training. But don’t worry! Gym weights are not the only way to strengthen your heart.

You can use your body weight and do simple exercises like squats, push-ups and pull-ups to build muscle mass and boost your heart health.

Yoga

Doctors may prescribe yoga if you are a heart patient or have recently survived a heart attack. Yoga is a great way to tone and strengthen your muscles, which contributes to a healthy heart.

According to several studies, yoga can also improve blood sugar and cholesterol levels by boosting your metabolism. It can further lower blood pressure through improved artery relaxation.

Interval training

Another effective exercise for heart patients is interval training. It involves short bursts of high-intensity physical activity and long periods of active recovery. With interval training, you can do a complete workout in less time and effort.

For example, you can run for a minute and then walk for three to five minutes. This exercise for heart problems helps increase and lower your heart rate and boost the function of your blood vessels.

Cycling

Another best exercise for heart health is cycling. You can do this physical activity both indoors and outdoors. Cycling helps in the movement of leg muscles that boost your heart rate, thus reducing the risk of heart complications.

When you cycle, your lungs, heart and blood vessels get a workout. So, if you are a heart patient, cycling can be a great way of strengthening your heart. But make sure you wear proper equipment before cycling outdoors to stay safe!

**Strength training

Also known as resistance training, strength training is another best exercise for heart patients. It can help burn fat and build lean muscle mass if you have a lot of body fat.

You can also combine strength training with aerobic exercises. The combination is an excellent way of raising high-density lipoprotein (HDL) or good cholesterol and reducing low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or bad cholesterol.

No doubt exercising is a great way to maintain good health. However, it is essential to know your limits when engaging in physical activity. Here are a few signs and symptoms that can help you know when to stop and take rest:

• Chest pain or pressure

• Nausea

• Extreme shortness of breath

• Dizziness or lightheadedness

• Connect with your healthcare provider immediately if these symptoms don’t go away even after stopping or taking rest.

So, these were the best workouts for heart patients. Doing regular exercise if you have a heart disease is essential to avoid health complications in the future. It contributes to making your heart muscle stronger and lowers your cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure levels.

However, talking with your doctor before starting exercise is crucial if you recently had a heart attack or a heart surgery or procedure. You should also consult your doctor if you experience chest pain or pressure or have diabetes. Some other ways of making your heart strong include eating a well-balanced diet, quitting smoking, low sodium intake, getting good sleep and reducing stress. Besides physical activity, medications and a healthy diet, it is essential to invest in a health insurance policy.

Health insurance is an effective tool to stay financially secure during a health crisis, especially when medical inflation is soaring high. Other benefits of health insurance can include pre and post-hospitalisation expenses, free health checkups, tax benefits, critical illness insurance, etc.

So, don't delay! Compare different plans and insurance providers and buy health insurance online through a few simple steps.

What are 7 ways you can control heart health?

Here are the 7 ways of controlling your heart health:

Keep your diabetes in check

Watch out for your cholesterol levels

Control your blood pressure

Do regular exercise

Have a healthy diet

Avoid smoking

Lose weight

Can I exercise with a heart disease?

Yes, for most heart patients, exercise is beneficial. However, it is best to take advice from your healthcare provider about which exercise is best for you.

How do you strengthen a weak heart?

Physical activity is one of the best ways to make your heart strong. It helps in strengthening your heart muscle, maintaining proper weight and preventing artery damage from high blood sugar, high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels. Other ways of strengthening a weak heart include taking a well-balanced diet, quitting smoking, low sodium intake, getting good sleep and reducing stress.

What are the signs of a weak heart?

Here are a few signs of a weak heart:

Fatigue and weakness

Irregular or rapid heartbeat

Shortness of breath while lying down or doing physical activity

Wheezing

Swollen belly area

Swollen legs, ankles or feet

Reduced energy to exercise

Which is the best exercise for heart health?

Aerobic exercises such as cycling, walking, swimming, etc. are the best exercises for heart health. You can also indulge in activities like gardening, doing housework, weight training and dancing to make your heart stronger.

How do I know my heart is healthy?

Here are a few signs that indicate you have a healthy heart:

A normal resting heart rate of 60 and 100 beats a minute

Being able to do moderate-intensity activity like brisk walking without tightness, chest pain or difficulty in breathing

Having good energy levels throughout the day

Having normal blood pressure