Maintaining a healthy heart is essential for overall well-being, and engaging in regular cardiovascular exercises plays a pivotal role in achieving this goal. Cardiologists emphasize the importance of physical activity in promoting heart health and reducing the risk of heart disease.
In this article, we will explore the recommendations provided by the American Heart Association (AHA) regarding physical activity in adults and explain the different types of cardiovascular activity for heart health. If you are seeking guidance and support for your fitness program, Legacy Personal Training is here to help. Schedule a consultation with our experts to optimize your cardiovascular health and achieve your fitness goals.
Understanding the AHA Recommendations for Physical Activity in Adults: The American Heart Association provides clear guidelines on the recommended levels of physical activity for adults. These recommendations serve as a foundation for maintaining a healthy heart and overall well-being. Let's explore the key points:
- Aerobic Exercise: The AHA suggests that adults engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity every week. These activities can include brisk walking, jogging, swimming, cycling, or aerobic classes. It's important to choose activities that elevate your heart rate and increase your breathing rate, but can be performed safely, with minimal risk. Circuit training or high intensity interval training can be done with weights but may not be appropriate for everyone.
- Intensity and Duration: Moderate-intensity aerobic activity should make you feel warm and slightly breathless, but still allow you to carry on a conversation. Vigorous-intensity aerobic activity will increase your heart rate significantly and make it difficult to carry on a conversation. It’s important to understand that the duration isn’t that important. Your 150 minutes of moderate-intensity could be broken into 20 or 30 minutes sessions, while your 75 minute vigorous activities could be broken into 5-10 minute segments. Starting off, it’s best to aim for shorter sessions and gradually increase the duration as your fitness level improves.
- Strength Training: In addition to aerobic exercise, the AHA recommends incorporating strength training activities into your routine. Engaging in resistance exercises a minimum of 2 days per week is necessary for both heart health and overall wellbeing. Strength training not only helps to build muscle but also supports bone health and overall functional fitness.
- Flexibility and Balance: While the primary focus is on aerobic exercise and strength training, the AHA also highlights the importance of mobility and balance. People typically think of things like Yoga or Pilates when they hear mobility and balance, however those may not be appropriate for some people based on starting point, fitness goals, capabilities. It’s important to understudy that functional training can accomplish the same things improving flexibility, range of motion, and overall balance, while also incorporating aerobic exercise. There are many different approaches to maximizing the benefits and efficiency of your fitness routine. The key is creating a routine that fits into your lifestyle and helps you accomplish all your goals simultaneously.
At Black Clover Fitness, we are dedicated to helping you achieve optimal cardiovascular health and overall fitness. By scheming a consolation with our expert staff, you can benefit from a tailored fitness program. Our experienced trainer will design you a customized program based on your current fitness level, health considerations, and specific goals.
