To Improve Heart Health, Start Slowly,

Listen to Your Body

The healthier your heart is, the easier it is to move
through your day. Learn how to get your heart
pumping and improve your heart health.
Along with strength and flexibility exercises, cardiovascular
training is a mainstay of musculoskeletal fitness. The healthier
your heart is, the easier it will be to move through your day.
Climbing stairs, shopping for groceries, house and yard work
and walking around your neighborhood all become easier
when your heart is in tip-top shape. If it's been a while since
you've gotten your heart pumping, start slowly with moderate,
low-impact exercise and eventually add vigorous, higher-
intensity activities to benefit your muscles and joints.

The Importance of a Healthy Heart

When your heart is in good shape, it doesn't have to pump as
hard to support your body's needs. Your muscles get the
oxygen they need to function, physical activity can be
accomplished at a lower level of intensity and your movements
become more fluid. When you have poor heart health, your
muscles will not reach their aerobic capacity, you'll feel more
tired and everything will seem harder to do.

Many people who were restricted to their homes because of

lockdowns or for work or childcare reasons found themselves
moving less. Gyms were closed and it was more challenging
for some to find time or places to work out. Now is a great
 time to resume healthy physical activity — but take it slow and
work your way back up to regain a healthy heart.

 
Calculate Your Target Heart Rate

1. Figure your maximum heart rate*: 220 minus your age. (Example: for someone age
50, max heart rate is 220-50 = 170 beats per minute or bpm)
2. For moderate exercise, target heart rate is 50%-70% of your max heart ate (85 to
119 bpm for someone age 50).
3. For vigorous activity, target heart rate is 70%-85% of your max heart rate (119 to
145 bpm for someone age 50).
*Since beta blockers change the way your heart rate rises with exercise, use perceived exertion to gauge
moderate versus vigorous exercise if you are taking these medications.

The American College of Sports Medicine publishes

a questionnaire you can complete to see if you need medical
clearance from your doctor before embarking on an exercise
program.

Start Low and Slow

Begin with exercises that don't put too much stress on your
muscles and joints and enable you to move safely. For three to
four weeks, on as many days per week as you can, engage in
low-impact activities such as:

 walking
 bicycle riding
 swimming
 elliptical trainer
If you used to run five miles at a time but haven't been running
in a year, you can't expect to go out and run five miles right off
the bat; dial it back and work your way up again.

Add Some Resistance

After engaging steadily in low-impact activities for several
weeks, you'll find that they feel easier and it can be more
challenging to get your heart rate up. That's a good sign you
are getting fitter and it's time to add some intensity to your
workouts. Before moving on to high-impact, high-intensity
exercises, however, start incorporating strength training into
your workouts. They are vitally important to help you build
strength and a strong core, support your joints and reduce your
risk of injury.

Types of strength training

 squats
 row-pulling exercises
 clamshells
 bridge pose
 plank
 side plank
 exercises using elastic exercise bands, which are safer
to start with than dumbbells and weights
 free weights and pulley weights (get guidance from a
professional before starting)
How do I do resistance exercises? If you haven't done
strength training before, a consultation with an exercise
physiologist, physical therapist or trainer is a good place to
begin. You want to be sure you are choosing the best exercises
for your body and doing them correctly to avoid injury and
maximize benefit.
How often should I do strength training? The American
Heart Association as well as the US Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention advise doing strength training two to
three days each week.
How many sets should I do? Start with two sets of each
exercise, 10 repetitions per set. When that starts feeling too
easy, increase to 12 reps per set, then 15 reps per set, then
from two sets to three sets per exercise.
How do I increase weight or resistance? When your
exercises feel too easy and you are doing three sets of 15 reps
per set, you can start increasing the resistance. If you are using
bands, increase to bands that offer more resistance. If you are
using weights, add 2.5 pounds at a time. You may need to
reduce the number of sets and reps at the higher intensity level
and work your way up before increasing the resistance again. 

Get Your Heart Pumping

With strength training in place and your muscles and joints
feeling stronger, you can add more vigorous cardio exercises
to your routine to further boost your heart rate. The speed
and/or intensity of elliptical training, bicycling, walking and
swimming can all be increased to further elevate your heart
rate. As long as your doctor feels it is safe for your body, you
can also engage in running. Find the activities that are
comfortable for you.

Achieving Long-Term Success

A good way to stick with your program and achieve steady
progress is to start slowly, listen to your body and find
activities you enjoy. Your heart rate will tell you when you are
doing too much or not enough. It's normal to feel some muscle
soreness when you are getting started or switching to more
intense activity, but pain due to an injury or overworked
muscles is a signal that you are moving too quickly. Give your
body the rest it needs and get back to exercising when it feels
right.

An exercise physiologist, physical therapist or trainer can help

monitor your progress and ensure that you are where you need
to be. They are excellent partners in your cardiovascular
fitness program and can help you stay healthy and
accountable.