While we stay heart-focused this month, we wanted to share a few heart-healthy exercises and their benefits. Regular exercise can help lower blood pressure, lessen the risk of developing diabetes, and reduce inflammation throughout the body. “One of the key benefits of exercise is that it helps to control or modify any of the risk factors for heart disease,” says Dr. Kerry Stewart, director of Clinical and Research Exercise Physiology at Johns Hopkins Bayview.
Try to get 20-30 minutes of exercise like walking, yoga, cycling, or strength training at least five days a week. Below is an infographic that highlights in detail the heart benefits of those four exercises:
Adding in these four types of exercise, or whatever works best for your routine, is also a great way to help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and metabloic syndrome long term. Maybe you can walk laps around your neighborhood, spend ten minutes of your morning doing some yoga stretches, cycle a few miles in the evening, or even stength train in your garage – take steps today to help your future heart-health!