Aerobic and anaerobic exercise, which is best for the heart?
He signaled Spanish Heart Foundation more than 80% of the cardiovascular diseases can be avoided if we follow the proper habits. Among them are maintaining a balanced diet and performing physical activity regularly. And it is that exercise turns out to be one key component to maintain a strong and healthy heart.
So that we can maintain the frequency of physical activity necessary to allow us to obtain benefits it is important to choose a sport that suits our tastes and abilities. However, with regard to the cardiovascular health there are some that are more recommendable than others. “The best type of exercise for your heart is aerobic,” says the cardiologist Miguel Ángel Gómez Vidal.
The exercise you should practice daily to strengthen the heart, according to cardiologists
There are many aerobic exercises that will help you strengthen the heart. However, among all of them, a very simple activity stands out that, in addition, you can and should practice daily. We refer to walk. “The benefits of this physical activity include the improvement of blood circulation, reducing the risk of heart diseases, control of the arterial pressure, and strengthening of cardiac muscle”, details the cardiologist Jeimy Gómez.
How long should you walk to strengthen your heart?
Any physical activity is better than none and it’s okay to start little by little, especially if you don’t exercise with regularity. When it comes to walking, experts at the Mayo Clinic recommend walking at least 30 minutes each day to strengthen the heart. If you are able to reach the hour, you will get even more benefits. However, if you are not used to it, you can start by walking five minutes per journey and go increasing the time progressively.
In addition to the time that we use every day, to strengthen the heart by walking it is also important to maintain good posture. The head must be held high, always looking towards the front, and the shoulders, neck, and back must be relaxed. On the other hand, you have to swing your arms freely, lightly squeeze the stomach muscles, and walk fluidly, first supporting the heel and later the toes.
What other benefits does walking have?
In addition to helping you have a stronger heart, walking every day has many other benefits to health. Favors the tissue mobilization: the body is like a machine that is wearing out with the passing of time. Walking helps maintain muscles and the tendons in good shape so that they continue working well. Regulates sugar levels in the blood: helps the pancreas to work much better. Install a healthier metabolic pattern: Performing aerobic exercise, such as walking, helps the metabolism, that is, the set of body processes intended to obtain energy, work more efficiently. Mobilizes toxins and metabolic waste: this is how you get clean and purify the body. Lose weight: when walking you don’t lose weight just because you wear out calories but also because, as we pointed out, they eliminate toxins and waste of the organism and a better metabolic functioning. Favors the secretion of wellness substances: when we walk, we segregate adrenaline, cortisol, and endorphins, hormones that make us feel better. Decreases muscle pains and joint: walking helps increase blood flow and strengthen muscles that surround the joints. In this way, the feeling of tension, rigidity, and pain. Reduces fatigue: the body is like a battery that needs charge and discharge every day and, for this, doing exercises such as walking is fundamental. A sedentary person does not rest well and feels more fatigued because he doesn’t spend all the energy during the day. Improves sleep: related to the previous benefit, if we use up our energy well by walking every day, we will sleep better when evening arrives. Improvement the quality of life: for all the benefits mentioned, walking will help us have a better health.