Exercise for a Healthy Heart

Your heart is a muscle, and it gets stronger and healthier if you lead an active life. It's never too late to start exercising, and you don't have to be an athlete. Even taking a brisk walk for 30 minutes a day can make a big difference.

Once you get going, you'll find it pays off. People who don't exercise are almost twice as likely to get heart disease as people who are active.

Regular exercise can help you:

  • Burn calories
  • Lower your blood pressure
  • Reduce LDL "bad" cholesterol
  • Boost your HDL "good" cholesterol

Ready to get started?

How to Start Exercising

First, think about what you'd like to do and how fit you are.

What sounds like fun? Would you rather work out on your own, with a trainer, or in a class? Do you want to exercise at home or at a gym?

If you want to do something that's harder than what you can do right now, no problem. You can set a goal and build up to it.

For example, if you want to run, you might start by walking and then add bursts of jogging into your walks. Gradually start running for longer than you walk.

Don't forget to check in with your doctor. They'll make sure you're ready for whatever activity you have in mind and let you know about any limits on what you can do.

Types of Exercise

Your exercise plan should include:

Aerobic exercise ("cardio"): Running, jogging, and biking are some examples. You're moving fast enough to raise your heart rate and breathe harder, but you should still be able to talk to someone while you're doing it. Otherwise, you are pushing too hard. If you have joint problems, choose a low-impact activity, like swimming or walking.

Stretching: You'll become more flexible if you do this a couple of times a week. Stretch after you've warmed up or finished exercising. Stretch gently -- it shouldn't hurt.

Strength training. You can use weights, resistance bands, or your own body weight (yoga, for instance) for this. Do it 2-3 times a week. Let your muscles recover for a day between sessions.

6 Exercises for Better Posture

Want the lean look and elegant stance of a yoga or Pilates teacher? It all starts with good posture.

The best way to improve your posture is to focus on exercises that strengthen your core -- the abdominal and low back muscles that connect to your spine and pelvis.

Some of these muscles move your torso by flexing, extending, or rotating your spine. Others stabilize your pelvis and spine in a natural, neutral position. Old-style sit-ups used only a few of these muscles, often with jerky momentum. Today's yoga, Pilates, and core fitness programs target your entire core with slow, controlled movements to get the most out of your workout.

Your Workout Plan

Make these posture-boosting exercises a regular part of your routine. Remember to exhale strongly and pull in your core muscles as you work -- a key principle in both Pilates and yoga.

1. Core Stabilizer: Single Leg Extension

  •  Why It’s Good for You: This move trains your core muscles to work together to stabilize your pelvis.
  •  Starting Position: Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor, and hands behind your head. Press your low back into the floor, and curl your head up off the floor.
  •  The Move: Exhale strongly and pull your navel in and up toward your spine. Slowly pull one knee into your chest, keeping your low back pressed to the floor, while extending your other leg straight at about a 45-degree angle off the floor. Keep your abdominals pulled in and your low back on the floor. If your low back arches off the floor, extend your leg higher toward the ceiling. Switch legs. Start with five to 10 extensions on each side.
  •  Increase the Intensity: Pull both knees into your chest, then extend both legs straight at about a 45-degree angle, using your core to keep your low back on the floor. Or, as you extend your legs, extend both arms overhead, reaching in the opposite direction from your legs.

2. The New Crunch

  •  Why It’s Good for You: Also called a “curl-up,” this exercise works the rectus abdominis (the six-pack muscle) and obliques (which run diagonally around your waist and rotate your torso).
  •  Starting Position: Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Press your low back into the floor. Place your hands behind your head, or reach your arms toward your knees if it doesn't create too much tension in your neck.
  •  The Move: Exhale strongly and pull your navel in and up toward your spine. Curl your head and shoulders slowly off the floor. Hold, then slowly lower back down. Repeat three times
  •  Increase the Intensity: Extend one leg straight at a 45-degree angle toward the ceiling. Or hold both legs off the floor, knees bent, with your shins parallel to the floor
  • 6 Myths About Exercise and Aging

  • Fitness is timeless. At every age, it makes a huge difference in how you feel and move, helps you whittle down those numbers (like your weight, cholesterol, or blood pressure) that your doctor keeps mentioning, and even brightens your mood.

    Inside and out, you win when you're active, no matter how old you are. But it doesn't always feel like that, especially if you've been on the sidelines for a while.

    Have you fallen for one of these bogus ideas about aging and exercise? Get the facts, so you can get back out there.

    1. “I’m too old.”

    Actually, not moving is much riskier and can speed up the aging process.

    Inactive people are twice as likely to develop heart disease, and they also have more doctor visits and take more medications.

    If you haven’t exercised in a long time, begin slowly with a low-impact aerobic activity that raises your heart rate, such as swimming.

    For overall heart health, the American Heart Association recommends 30 minutes of aerobic activity 5 days per week, and 2 days per week of strength training. If a half-hour a day sounds daunting, think small. Even a 10-minute walk is a good start.

    Exercise doesn’t have to mean taking up a new sport. But if there’s an activity that you enjoyed doing when you were younger (say, tennis or volleyball), look for a way to get back to it.

    2. “I’ll hurt myself.”

    Not if you know what you're doing and work within your limits.

  • First, talk to your doctor before beginning an exercise program. They can tell you which activities to try and which ones to avoid.

    When you get started, work with a pro who can show you exactly what to do. That way, you'll stay safe.

    Remember, the more physically fit you are, the less likely you are to get injured. Improving your balance by doing things like yoga and tai chi may also help you avoid falls in your everyday life. So will strength training, which you can do with hand-held weights, machines at a gym, or even your own body weight (think pushups and lunges).