Exercise is essential for keeping your heart healthy. Any type of physical activity will help, especially walking, swimming, dancing and laughter.
Walking is an aerobic exercise that reduces atherosclerosis, fatty build-ups in the arteries which cause most cases of heart disease. While walking, the heart becomes more efficient and pumps more blood with each heartbeat. It also increases your muscles’ ability to take oxygen from the blood.
Swimming is another aerobic activity that increases your stamina while improving your cardiovascular system. Exercise through swimming slows the heart to work less strenuously allowing your heart to stay healthy and strong.
Enjoying yourself while taking part in cardiovascular exercise is what dancing allows you to do. Dancing is a great exercise that not only keeps your heart rate up but allows you to have fun and let loose, while keeping your heart healthy without you even noticing!
Laughter is contagious but spreading it around is a good thing. Research shows that laughter increases blood flow, burns calories and eases pain. Did you know that 4 yr. olds laugh about every 4 minutes and adults do it about once an hour? Spend some time having fun each day and…
Remember dark chocolate and red wine! Tasty treats high in flavonoids (the compounds that cause blood vessels to dilate and reduce blood pressure).
Happy Valentines Day, every day!
Susan Covey is the Fitness Director at Acts Bayleigh Chase in Easton
Write a Letter to the Editor on this Article
We encourage readers to offer their point of view on this article by submitting the following form. Editing is sometimes necessary and is done at the discretion of the editorial staff.