Exercise for your heart

According the MedPage Today, “Exercise that focuses on building cardiorespiratory fitness, rather than resistance or strength training, provides the best shot at reducing mortality.”

The International Journal of Cardiology online wrote, “Higher cardiorespiratory fitness is associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular mortality and morbidity, as is the multitude of gains in fitness due to exercise training,”

According to the Cleveland Clinic there are four goals your aerobic exercise program should have:

1. It is aerobic. It uses large muscle groups repetitively for a sustained amount of time
2. You perform it for 30 to 60 minutes, three to five days a week
3. It meets the cardiovascular goals your doctor or exercise physiologist has prescribed for you
4. It is something you will enjoy doing for an extended period of time

Options for aerobic exercise for beginners include:

• Walking- very accessible aerobic, good for beginners, and all you need are walking shoes
• Cycling- low impact, limits mechanical pain in backs, hips, knees and ankles
• Swimming- laps, water aerobics, water walking are options, good alternative to those with joint pain