by Jennifer Cox Fitness Activities to improve your heart health We all know that our heart health is paramount, but did you know that heart disease is the second leading cause of death in Canada? You can reduce your risk of heart-related ailments by understanding the risk factors that cause them, and by making changes to your lifestyle. These can include adding a slightly high-energy activity to your weekly regimen, which is not only fun but can be a great way to spend quality time with a spouse or friend (or make new ones!). TOP 10 Swimming/water aerobics Any kind of physical exercise in a pool is a great way to get your heart rate up while reducing impact stress on joints and muscles. It also improves endurance, increases your muscle strength and helps you maintain a healthy weight. Biking Cycling is an all-around great activity because of the myriad health benefits associated with it. Not only will cycling give your ticker a good workout, it can aid with posture, joint mobility and muscle strength. It’s also been known to decrease stress levels. Walking/Jogging Doesn’t matter where you do it – whether it’s on an indoor track, through a park, along a beach or around the mall. Just get out there and move! It doesn’t even have to be vigorous. Just 30 minutes every day can increase cardiovascular fitness, strengthen bones, boost muscle power and endurance and reduce excess body fat. Tennis Did you know that an hour-long game of singles tennis burns around 600 calories for men and 420 calories for women? And not only does it challenge you physically (with a host of amazing heart-happy benefits), the tactical side of the sport allows you to challenge yourself mentally too. You only live once, but you get to serve twice! Golfing Walking an average course for a round of golf can be between five and seven kilometres so if you walk 18 holes three to five times a week, you’re getting an optimal amount of endurance exercise for your heart. Plus, you could burn as much as 1,000 calories per game! Not to mention the stimulating surroundings and fresh air (great for the brain), golf is a very sociable sport and it’s low-risk too. Yoga/Pilates Yoga poses stretch your muscles and increase your range of motion and, although yoga is not considered aerobic, some research finds that it can be just as good as aerobic exercise for improving heart health. Pilates is similar to yoga but puts an emphasis on the body’s core – the abdomen, obliques, lower back, inner and outer thigh, butt, etc. For this reason, Pilates develops much of what exercisers need – things such as strength, flexibility, muscular endurance, coordination and balance. Gardening Gardening keeps you active and reduces your stress levels, and this means that it can help prevent heart disease, diabetes, obesity and other associated lifestyle diseases. Plus, it keeps you limber and provides you with an abundance of healthy, fresh produce! Dancing Sign up for a class or join a social dance, but just dance! Research shows that dancing can improve your cardiovascular health as well as your mental health by boosting your overall happiness. It’s also known to strengthen bones and muscles, and to help stave off illnesses. Softball Nothing too strenuous – what you want to do is get your heart rate up, get full body conditioning and enjoy the camaraderie of the sport. Toss the ball around, get in a few swings and jog the bases. A friendly softball game is an ideal way to get in some cardio exercise. Bowling Bowling began 4,000 years ago in ancient Greece and is still enjoyed by many today! Join a league or meet some friends for a few games. Exercise such as bowling can reduce your risk of stroke, diabetes, bone density loss and heart attack, while helping to improve your circulation and lower both cholesterol and blood pressure. After all, bowling is fun in your spare time! CSANews | SPRING 2018 | 49
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