The 7 Best Exercises You Can Do to Improve Your CardioVascular Health

No matter how people define aerobic exercise, it’s a necessary action to improve your cardiovascular health. It can also be done to reduce stress and lose weight. It’s more enjoyable to do outdoors but it’s equally effective indoors. Here are 7 of the best exercises to consider adding to your fitness routine. 

Main Qualities 

The best cardiovascular exercises have three main qualities: effectiveness, convenience and enjoyability. The activities are effective in getting your body healthy, which means strengthening your heart and providing enough blood to your organs. Look for all three factors as you choose the right aerobics routine. It’s pointless to participate in activities that are fun yet ineffective or effective but inconvenient. 

Second, only choose exercises that are convenient because no one wants to deal with inconveniences. Your fitness routine should not cause physical pain or mental stress at any moment. You should not have to sacrifice too much of your time, safety or effort by participating in certain exercises. 

For instance, hiking is a good aerobics exercise for some people, but it’s dangerous for inexperienced hikers and may cause them injury. Kickboxing and calisthenics classes are fun but inconvenient if taking the class requires you to sacrifice more important duties.

Third, exercising should be enjoyable and not unbearable to get through. There are hundreds of aerobics exercises available, so there is no need to choose the same boring, repetitive routines. You’re more likely to benefit from enjoying what you’re doing. 

1. Walking 

Walking is the best exercise to improve your cardiovascular health because it’s something that you already do every day. It’s simple enough to do it without thinking. Even if you spend hours in front of the TV or computer, you still walk from one location to another.  

Walking is easy to combine with other activities. Run errands by walking instead of driving to your destination. Some people prefer to walk to school or work, while others walk to enjoy nature or socialize with others. 

Create a schedule that allows you to walk a minimum of 30 minutes to an hour each day. Make a plan that is based on time or distance. Choose a time between 30 minutes and 4 hours a day and avoid walking more than 4 hours. 

Then, choose to walk a distance from one mile to 10 miles per day. Make sure not to overexert yourself or you’ll risk an injury by putting too much strain on your body. 

2. Jogging 

Jogging is a cross between walking and running. You run at a slow, steady pace for several minutes before stopping. Remaining disciplined is important because it’s easy to lose control of the situation and jog to excess.

You may think that jogging for long periods of time without rest is good for the body, but it could bring more harm than good. Too much exercise is not recommended because you’re likely to pull a muscle, twist an ankle or worse. 

Jogging gives you the opportunity to enjoy an outdoor setting. Some people combine jogging with hiking, but this should be done with caution. Hiking is usually done on mountain tops, along cliffs or near canyons. You increase the risks of falling or breaking a limb by jogging in rugged outdoor areas.  

3. Running 

Running is done at a faster speed and shorter duration than jogging. Track and field athletes run races that last a few minutes. To improve their speed, they perform sprints that last 30 seconds or less. 

Running gives a major boost to your cardiovascular health that you can’t get from walking. Run for one to three minutes and continue walking for the rest of the distance. 

4. Calisthenics  

Calisthenics consist of various body movements that are made while standing or sitting down. These include sit ups, pushups, twists and lunges, to name a few. There are hundreds of exercises that you can perform at home and with little or no equipment. 

Calisthenics are ideal for older people with limited movements and disabled individuals who cannot stand, walk or jog. Young, healthy people benefit by having access to different types of aerobics classes that fit their interests.

Improve your cardiovascular health by making the body work harder to perform certain movements. The exercises are not as effective as walking or swimming, but they’re better than not exercising at all.  

5. Swimming 

Swimming is another activity that encourages the body to pick up speed, which causes the heart to pump more blood at a faster rate. As an exercise, swimming is very strenuous and more suited for athletic-type individuals. But it’s still one of the most enjoyable ways to improve your cardiovascular health.   

6. Biking 

Biking allows you to explore the outdoors and be healthy at the same time. There are different places to bike on paved roads, on nature trails and in urban or suburban neighborhoods. 

Biking is more fun than walking but more dangerous. Maintaining your safety is just as important as maintaining your health. Be careful when biking along busy roads or at night. Mountain biking is recommended for experienced bikers who can handle the terrain and prevent injuries. 

7. Dancing 

Dancing has a variety of benefits in improving cardiovascular health. First, it is fun and usually done in places of entertainment, so it’s a form of exercise that’s not boring or repetitive. It’s easy for someone to dance for hours in a good night. 

Second, dancing is just as effective as jogging. When you spin and perform other rapid movements, your body is working harder at circulating blood and strengthening your muscles. While it doesn’t seem like exercise, dancing provides many of the same benefits and more.   

Exercising to improve your cardiovascular health is fairly simple and straightforward. You don’t need expensive equipment and complicated techniques to get the work done. It takes only 30 minutes to complete a long walk or make several laps across the pool. In the end, your heart benefits, causing you to live longer and enjoy a life free of diseases.