Cardio: The Importance of Getting Your Heart Going
Cardio plays a huge part in keeping your heart healthy, and it’s something that individuals of all ages should be adding to their weekly routine. While you may prefer to focus on strength training at Braxton Gilbert Fitness, we always encourage our clients to enjoy a balanced workout routine that will help to keep their heart in shape. Today we’re going to take a look at key ways to keep your heart healthy and prevent heart failure in the future.
Keeping The Heart Healthy
Keeping your heart healthy is all about living a balanced life. Cardio and keeping active are critical for a healthy heart, but there are other factors you’ll want to consider alongside these. Different types of trainers can help with your overall lifestyle, and to retain good heart health, you’ll also need to consider what you are eating to ensure you stay at a healthy weight for your height and body type. For anyone who currently smokes, we highly encourage you to consider the risks of this to your heart. The same goes with alcohol consumption, which should only be enjoyed in moderation.
Stress is an area that’s often overlooked when it comes to health, but it can have a huge impact on your heart. Our Mobile fitness trainers can help create session plans that are ideal for anyone looking to relieve stress, which may help control your blood pressure and cholesterol levels. All of these areas work together to offer you improved heart health and reduce your chance of heart failure later on in life.
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What The Heart Does And Why You Need It In Shape
The heart is critical for our body as it works to pump blood around the body. It will deliver nutrients and oxygen to your body’s cells and also remove waste products. Your heart is made up of four chambers, and the valves between these chambers ensure that blood only flows in one direction throughout your body. A healthy heart is critical to maintain good overall health, which we know anyone working out at gyms in Mobile, Alabama, will be passionate about. By opting for a healthier lifestyle no matter your current age, you can work to reduce the chance of a heart attack, heart disease, or stroke later on. It’s never too early or too late to start making these changes in your life, and the sooner you create healthier habits, the longer you’ll enjoy the benefits of a healthy heart.
Heart disease is the number one cause of death among the population today, claiming millions of lives each year around the world. Heart disease will occur when plaque builds up within your arteries, and this then restricts the flow of blood to your heart, leading to a heart attack or stroke. The more you work to educate yourself about the benefits of cardio workouts at our gym in Mobile, AL, the more power you’ll have over your health and wellbeing. We also recommend keeping an eye on your vital statistics and attending regular health check-ups, so you can catch any issues sooner than later.
How To Prevent Heart Failure
Now that you know the importance of looking after your heart health, it’s time to take a look at some of the key ways you can prevent heart failure.
Diet
Your diet plays a huge role in looking after your health, and it’s something we encourage anyone to take a look at. Working alongside an active lifestyle and various personal training styles, you’ll want to primarily focus on consuming lean proteins, whole grains, and plenty of fruits and vegetables. On top of that, try to minimize the bad fats, salt, alcohol, and added sugars you consume. When it comes to your diet, we always recommend balance and moderation, but don’t let yourself feel guilty if you have the odd treat when you are always eating healthy otherwise. Aim for a colorful plate during each meal, with plenty of dark-green vegetables to get the minerals and vitamins your body needs to thrive. Stay away from processed foods as much as possible, and be mindful about the portion size you consume when dining in restaurants.
Cardio and Exercise
At Braxton Gilbert Fitness Mobile, we understand the benefits that regular workouts offer to our clients. It’s recommended that adults exercise for a minimum of 2.5 hours a week. This exercise should include moderate aerobic activity, but for anyone who is just starting out, even walking can be a great option. If you have children, try to encourage them to stay active for at least an hour a day, which can help to build good habits to last a lifetime. Cardio directly helps to strengthen your heart, which is one of the body’s most important muscles. When your heart is stronger, it will be able to pump blood around your body more effectively. It can also reduce the chance of plaque building up in your arteries, which is what results in heart attacks in the long run.
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Keep an Eye on Your Statistics
There are a few key statistics we encourage you to track in order to prevent heart failure. Firstly, your weight is a good indication of your health, but there are many considerations to take into account when using the BMI scale. Consider if your weight is too high for your height and body type, and consider slowly trying to reduce your calorie intake and increase your exercise if that’s the case. Also, ensure you have your cholesterol levels and blood pressure checked from time to time, especially if you have a family history of either of these being high. Stress and smoking may help to increase these figures, so consider trying to minimize these in your life where possible.
Heart health is something that all of us should be paying more attention to, regardless of our age and fitness levels. Here at Braxton Gilbert Fitness Mobile, our team of personal trainers will be more than happy to work with you and create a training program to increase your cardio and improve your heart health this year.