Exercise Routines (That Are Anything But) To Kick-Start Your Heart Health

Since you only have one heart, you need to treat it with the respect it deserves. Your heart is a muscle, and to keep it strong you need to fuel it right and treat it to a regular exercise routine.

Yes, in this day and age, it can be hard to find the time with your busy schedule. Say you’re working full time and have you a regular social schedule – of course, it can seem like there’s no way that you can fit in exercise. And it’s even worse when you know you have to do something boring like going to the gym. The thing is, even if you only have a limited amount of time, mixing a bit of heart health exercises into your routine can vastly improve your heart health.

Of course, it’s important to know what your limits are. Running, for example, can be hard on your joints and is not for everyone. Hot yoga, although amazing for your heart, can also be damaging if the organ is not strong enough to take it. You should consult with a doctor before attempting these exercise routines, especially if you’re older or have been out of the game for a while. There are a number of alternative exercises you can do if you want lower-intensity workouts – see more about these below. You also might be thinking if you’re really motivated enough to get going, you just may need a little push. If you need some inspiration, it’s definitely worth your while to check out the following.

READ MORE: Get Fit with These Quick Home Workouts That’ll Make You Forget The Gym

Now, are you feeling motivated and is your heart health approved and ready to take on the challenge? Then, read on!

These five exercise routines are quick, easy and more fun than running on a treadmill. They’re also sure to add years to your life to keep your ticker pumping strong for years and years to come.

5.) The Four-Minute Cardio Workout

If you don’t have a lot of time, this one is for you. This four-minute workout will get your heart rate up quickly from the comfort of your own home. You can follow along with the verbal and visual instructions to give yourself some options.

The video uses four different exercises to encourage you to sweat:

• Fake jump rope
• Cross jacks
• Skaters
• Burpees

The exercises will be repeated twice, each for 20 seconds with 10 seconds of jogging in between. This gives you ample time to learn the routines. If at any point it becomes too intense, simply pause the video and take a short break; we won’t judge. If you feel that four minutes is too short for you, simply repeat the video until you’re satisfied with the level of intensity.

4.) 30-Minute Yoga Practice for Heart Health

Warning: If you have cardiovascular problems then some of these poses might be difficult.

Essentially, when you’re upside down, the lower part of your body still needs blood. Therefore your heart has to work harder to distribute the blood against the force of gravity. Otherwise, join Lesley Fightmaster in this high-intensity interval training class designed to increase your heart rate and burn calories.

Before you start, find the best yoga mat to use. This yoga workout starts gently to warm-up the body – this is important with any exercise you do – and moves from moderate to high intensity and ends with a cool down. Whenever you need to rest, just take it. You can start and stop this video as many times as you need to!

READ MORE: Top 5 Unexpected Health Benefits of Practicing Yoga

3.) Kickboxing — No Equipment Required

What might feel a bit awkward at first is a fantastic way to boost your cardiovascular activity. The side benefits are that you will increase muscle mass while burning off extra pounds. Did you know that cardio kickboxing burns between 10 and 15 calories per minute? Insane, right? Plus, since you’ll be repeating the same routine, it should become second nature to you quite quickly.

Generally, with kickboxing, you’ll notice that there’s a combination of hooks, kicks, roundhouse kicks, etc., that will give you an advantage in any arena. Plus, the benefits beyond your heart health are incredible. We recommend you track your fitness level for this workout and others with a heart rate monitor too.

Kickboxing will reduce your stress, boost your confidence, improve your coordination, increase your energy and give you better posture.

READ MORE: Count the Calories That Come Off! 5 Awesome Calorie Burning Workouts

2.) Low-Impact 15-Minute Cardio Workout

No more excuses. If you’ve ever thought to yourself, “I can’t increase my heart rate because my body can’t take the intense toll on my body,” think again! This intense workout will get your heart pumping without negatively affecting your body.

Perfect for beginners and advanced trainers alike, this low-impact cardio routine is great. It’s short, there’s no jumping required and you definitely are guaranteed to work up a sweat. Deep squats, side steps and lunges are integrated into this routine to work you hard without impacting your joints. No jumping or pounding on the ground are required, making this routine one that protects your joints while pushing yourself to the limit.

1.) 30-Minute Dance Cardio Workout

This easy-breezy dance routine will get your body moving and your sweat dripping in no time. Aside from the increased blood flow to your heart, you’ll also benefit from the head-to-toe strengthening of various muscle groups.

Grooving along to the music will help get you out of your head, and this total-body workout doesn’t skimp on the fun! It has great potential to improve your mood and can add to your moves the next time you go dancing with your friends. I think a celebrity choreographer said it best when he said, “Dancing gives you an essential boost for your mind, body, and spirit”.

Not all exercise routines are created equally. As such, there will be some that will have greater effects on your heart health than others. A well-balanced diet is a major contributing factor to a healthy heart.

READ MORE: Top 5 Healthy Food Blogs to Follow For Easy Recipes

Skipping on exercise and eating unhealthy foods are surefire ways to hurt your heart. Do you think you have a healthy heart? Do you already incorporate some of these routines into your daily regimen? We’d love to hear what works for you and what doesn’t. Please share your thoughts with us in the comments below. Also, please tell us which routine was your favorite!