Exercise and Heart Health

Learn more about the types of exercise that promote a healthy heart.

As most of us know, a key component to living a heart healthy life is exercising regularly. Heart and Stroke recommend exercising 150 minutes a week (which can be broken up into sessions as short as 10 minutes) is sufficient to promote heart health. 150 minutes might seem like a large number, but if you break it out throughout the week, this becomes a much more manageable task.

For some people, figuring out what types of workouts they enjoy is the hardest part. The gym and the seemingly limitless types of exercise classes can be daunting. We want to share with you that there are many different ways to get moving, and hopefully inspire you to try something new.

Aerobic Training

Aerobic training is any sort of cardiovascular focused exercise that gets your heart rate up. Therefore, there are many ways to stay active with this type of training. From walking or running to kick boxing and spinning; there is a large variety of opportunity to try something new. If less formal exercise is more your thing, aerobic exercise also includes hiking, dancing, and swimming. Make it a goal this month to try one new aerobic style exercise class. Who knows, you might just find your new favourite workout!

Resistance Training

Just like aerobic training, there are multiple options to fit resistance training into your day. Resistance training includes free weights, like dumbbells, barbells, and kettle-bells, as well as medicine balls and weight machines. If you are not interested in partaking in resistance training in a formal gym setting, this type of exercise is great to do at home while you are catching up on your favourite T.V. show. Next time you want to try resistance training, bring a partner along!

Stretching, Flexibility, and Balance

Try working on your flexibility and balance. Yoga is a great place to start if you are not sure what to do. Another thing to remember is to periodically stretch throughout the day. If you sit at a desk all day, having a stretching routine (like this one) on hand is a good way to get moving.

Thanks to Johns Hopkins for some of the ideas we’ve shared above. Click here to visit their site and learn more.

Still looking for some exercise motivation? Check out our blog post showcasing 10 different types of workout classes here.

Looking for another way to promote overall wellness? A Personal Health Plan from Saskatchewan Blue Cross offers coverage for health practitioners like physiotherapists and chiropractors, and can also provide coverage for vision, dental and prescription drugs.