Knowing your heart rate zones before, during, and after exercise might help you become a better runner. A person’s heart rate rises when running and participating in other sports. The best heart rate zone for training will vary depending on an individual’s age, fitness level, current activity, and the presence or absence of medical issues.

Heart rate is a reliable indicator of how hard a person works during exercise. For instance, you should be able to raise your intensity while exercising when your heart rate is still relatively low. In contrast, your heart rate will be high when exerting yourself significantly. People may fully achieve their fitness or weight loss goals by monitoring their heart rates while exercising.

Is There an Ideal Heart Rate for Running?

A person’s heart rate is a good indicator of how much effort they make while exercising; a greater heart rate denotes a higher level of physical activity. People can improve their running by paying attention to their heart rate zones, whether exercising to get in shape, build stamina, or train for an event. Staying inside one’s target zones encourages one to push themselves. When pushing too hard, though, people should be cautious.

Running and other types of exercise require different heart rates of different people depending on the following:

• Age
• Current levels of activity
• Overall health
• Physical ailments
• Gender
• Genetics
• Caffeine consumption

What are Heart Rate Zones?

The descriptions of each zone and possible applications are provided below. These do not apply if you exercise at a low heart rate.

• Zone 1: Very Light (50%- 60%) of MHR

Zone 1 should only be used for warm-up, or recovery runs where a low intensity is desired. It’s great to run in this zone when we first start jogging to establish a base because it feels like you could keep going for hours. It’s an excellent strategy to increase stamina, enabling you to work out for several days without being overly tired.

• Zone 2: Light (60% -70%) of MHR

Zone 2 should primarily be used for your easy and lengthy runs. These runs aren’t as simple as Zone 1, but you can still talk to people and shouldn’t feel entirely exhausted afterward. For many endurance athletes, this is the most challenging zone because they frequently think the speed is too sluggish, but it’s precisely what the body needs to develop endurance. Your marathon pace will probably begin in Zone 2 and transition into Zone 3 or Zone 4 by the finish line.

• Zone 3: Moderate (70% – 80%) of MHR

This is your tempo run pace, meant to increase speed and strength. To maximize the benefit to your heart, Zone 3 runs should last 30 to 45 minutes. The rate is moderately fast, and you should only be able to speak minimally while running. Overtraining results from many runners doing their easy runs in this zone.

• Zone 4: Intervals or Fartlek (80% – 90%) of MHR

Your body learns to run at its lactate threshold in Zone 4. This is a challenging effort that, depending on intensity, you could only sustain for up to a 5K or for mile repeats when you should be working on quick twitch muscles. Your body needs rapid energy, probably from carbs, during this endeavor.

• Zone 5: 400 repeats or finishing a race (90%- 100%) of MHR

Zone 5 is your maximum effort, and each session should not exceed five minutes. This pace is appropriate for shorter speed exercises like 200- and 400-meter repeats and race finishes. You can get a decent breakdown of the zones above from this HR Zone Chart.

Normal Resting Heart Rate for Runners

As a runner, it’s crucial to know your resting heart rate and maximum heart rate while running. Below we outline the precise method of assessing your resting heart rate. 

• The first measurement of the day, right after waking up and before getting out of bed, is the most accurate.
• You can use your fingers and a timer to record your heart rate if your phone doesn’t have a built-in fingerprint sensor app.
• Count the heartbeats over 15 seconds by using your first two index fingers to feel for your pulse on your wrist or in the carotid artery on your neck. Your resting heart rate can be calculated by multiplying the total number of heartbeats by 4.

The typical person’s heartbeat at rest is between 60 and 100 beats (ref. link) per minute (bpm). Seasoned runners and elite athletes can have heart rates as low as 40 bpm. Since their heart’s muscles are in top shape, they don’t have to exert as much energy pumping blood to the body. The average resting heart rate for marathon runners is between 45 and 65 (ref. link).

How Does a High Heart Rate Affect You?

Exceeding your maximum heart rate can result in a variety of health issues (ref. link), including:

• Arrhythmia
• Chest pain
• Discomfort 

Additionally, it won’t aid your running but will harm it. Your body won’t learn to burn fat for energy for extended periods if you train consistently at a high heart rate. It’s also vital to note that training at 75% (ref. link)of MHR or greater prevents your body from recovering or developing the lactic threshold system.

Calculating your ideal running heart rate and exercising within this range will help you achieve your fitness or weight loss goals. The appropriate heart rate for running varies according to a person’s age, level of fitness at the time, and other factors. Since temperature and humidity can affect heart rate, tracking heart rate while jogging may benefit endurance training and training under various weather conditions. 

People should generally exercise with a heart rate between 50% and 85% of their maximum heart rate. People might utilize various formulas to determine their maximal heart rate. Additionally, numerous heart rate monitors can track a person’s heart rate while exercising.

Monitoring your heart rate in real-time can help you understand your heart better; you can buy the Frontier X2 from our website and take charge of your heart health.

Frequently Asked Questions on Running Heart Rate Zones :

What Are the Five Heart Rate Zones?

The five heart rate zones are below:

• Zone 1: 50 percent to 60 percent of MHR.
• Zone 2: 60 percent to 70 percent of MHR.
• Zone 3: 70 percent to 80 percent of MHR.
• Zone 4: 80 percent to 90 percent of MHR.
• Zone 5: 90 percent to 100 percent of MHR.

Is it OK to run in Zone 4?

Heart rate zone 4 is challenging; breathing becomes hard and working aerobically. Training yourself at this intensity helps in improving your speed endurance.

Should I avoid zone 3?

Training in Zone 3 for tempo workouts is a prominent way to develop your capacity to run at a specific pace.

How long should I train in heart rate zones?

A typical one-hour session is good to go with a minimum of 10 minutes of warming up.

Do your heart rate zones change as you get fitter?

As you evolve fitter, your heart rate actually gets better.

Other Heart Health Topics To Explore:

Heart Rate While Running | Mental Stress | Low Carb Diet | Heart Palpitation After Eating |  Increased Heart rate | Healthy Heart Tips | Arrhythmia Causes | Exercise for Healthy Heart | Heart Attack Causes | Best Heart Rate Monitor

Frontier X2:

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Heart rate is the rate at which your heart beats per minute and is calculated by assessing the number of contractions the heart produces in that time. Most healthy adults have a heart rate that lies within the range of 60 to 100 heartbeats per minute. Dehydration, lack of body movement, poor dietary choices, doses of stimulants, insomnia, and psychological stress can be classified as threats to the heart rate.

How to Measure Your Heart Rate?

Gently press your index and middle fingers to the underside of your other wrist, exactly underneath your thumb. You will experience a steady beating of your pulse. Now go ahead and count the number of beats in a minute. Repeat to cross-check your measurement.

For greater accuracy, checking your pulse right after you wake up helps avoid the effect of external factors on your resting heart rate.

10 Ways to Lower Your Heart Rate

Exercise

Regular exercise is an easy and effective way to maintain a good heart rate. A Meta-Analysis conducted in 2018 shows that training your body to exercise daily lowers your resting heart rate. Although any body movement that gets you moving should do the trick, paramedics recommend yoga and endurance training as the most effective.

Exercising enhances your muscles’ ability to utilize the oxygen in your blood, reducing the need for your heart to pump excessive blood to your muscles. Additionally, it helps to reduce the release of stress hormones that put additional strain on the heart.

Stay Hydrated

A dehydrated body works harder than usual to maintain a steady blood flow in the system. A study conducted in 2017 discovered that drinking 335 milliliters of water per day could significantly lower your heart rate for 30 minutes. Besides water, consuming a fair amount of low-fat milk products, fruits, and vegetables throughout the day lowers your heart rate.

A well-hydrated body pumps blood more efficiently, reducing the stress applied to your muscles. This ensures that the heart is not under pressure to compensate for the shortage of healthy circulation.

Limit Stimulants

Stimulants are suspected of playing an active role in dehydration, which adds to your heart’s workload. Evidence proves that increased intake of caffeine results in dehydration. Coffee also directly affects the oversupply of Epinephrine – commonly called adrenaline – which mildly paces up the heart rate.

Follow a Balanced Diet

Maintaining a nutritious diet improves the heart rate and enhances its functioning. Fruits, vegetables, foods rich in lean proteins, and whole grains all lower the heart rate immensely. Nutritious supplements ample in antioxidants and healthy fats apply less strain on the heart.

Omega-3 fatty acids, polyphenols, tannins, vitamin A, dietary fiber, and vitamin C are nutrients that keep the heart rate under control. A study in 2021 reports that the intake of antioxidant alpha-lipoic acid efficiently reduces blood pressure. As blood pressure directly affects the heart rate, it controls the strain on the heart and reduces the heart rate.

Limit Sodium Intake

High sodium intake makes your blood vessels stiff and narrow, forcing your heart to pump blood that much faster. Consequently, the heart is under pressure to deliver and circulate blood to your entire body.

Avoid eating processed food items, meats, frozen dinners, hot dogs, and canned vegetables that contain excess salt. Start paying attention to the sodium content on the labels.

Get Enough Sleep

Insufficient sleep contributes to stress experienced by your whole body, including your heart. A study uncovered that straying from your pre-set bedtimes can increase your resting heart rate.

The inactivity of your eyes in sleep stabilizes breathing, slows the heart rate, and shows a drop in blood pressure. This time off is a break for your body to recover from the strain in the daytime. Deprivation of this much-needed Non-Rapid Eye Movement can lead to a severe chronic lack of sleep. It increases the resting heart rate and is a threat to your health.

Resolve Stress

Work stress, worry about a loved one, or financial setbacks can all play a role in causing the body to work harder just to maintain a healthy rhythm. Your brain triggers a release of adrenaline in a stressful situation. Adrenaline results in rapid breathing, higher heart rate, and increased blood pressure. This forces your body into a “flight or fight” response.

Stressful situations cannot always be taken care of independently. Mental health concerns such as grief, loss, and traumatic experiences keep people from coping with their day-to-day responsibilities. Neglecting these psychological concerns puts the body in constant stress and agitation.

Anxiety, a psychological illness, triggers the reaction of the autonomic nervous system. Unease in a situation causes your heart rate to experience a sudden rise. Furthermore, stress can also impair the body’s ability to heal and slow down the heart’s ability to recover from minor trauma.

Go Outdoors

A visual shift in the environment can improve your heart rate. A 2018 study states that, for city dwellers, detaching from their everyday surroundings can effectively lower their heart rate by eliminating the constant reminders of factors that trigger psychological stress. Take a trip to a peaceful park or breathing space. Your brain registers the change in the surroundings and responds to it positively. Here’s how.

Exposure to fresh air boosts oxygen levels in the brain. This increases the release of serotonin — known as the “happy” chemical — in your body and uplifts your mood.

Relaxation Techniques

Relaxation techniques include meditation, massage, yoga, aromatherapy, music, and art therapy. These positively affect your stress levels and lower your heart rate. Research is in progress to determine whether heart rates are as affected by the practice of mind relaxation techniques as they are by psychological well-being.

Heart rate is prone to be affected by numerous factors, including a poor diet, psychological roadblocks, and physical health issues. It must be your priority to get your heart rate under control before it elevates to heart disease. Now is the best time to incorporate a healthy lifestyle and maintain a steady heart rate.

Finally, as you take the steps to lower your heart rate, monitoring it and other metrics can really help you take charge of your cardiac health. Buy the Frontier X2, a revolutionary heart monitoring device, and change your heart health forever!

Frequently Asked Questions on Lower Heart Rate :

How can I quickly lower my heart rate?

Expanding your aortic pressure will lower your heart rate, try closing your mouth and nose and raise the pressure in your chest like you’re stifling a sneeze. Now breathe in for 5-8 seconds, hold that breath for 3-5 seconds, then exhale slowly. Repeat this process multiple times, however, if you ever feel palpitations, it is always advised to consult a doctor.

Should I go to the ER if my heart rate is over 100?

Yes, a heartbeat that’s faster than 100, also called tachycardia, and one must visit a doctor.

Is a heart rate of 110 OK?

The normal range of your heart rate should be between 60 to 100 beats per minute when you’re not active. Anything above and below this range is a reason for concern and should immediately consult a doctor.

What is the high heart rate for a woman?

A heart rate above 100 beats per minute at rest may mean a dangerous health condition.

What causes the heart rate to go up?

The heart rate may increase due to several reasons such as stress, exercise, or even too much alcohol or caffeine.

Other Heart Health Topics To Explore:

How to Improve Heart Health | Low Carb Diet | Normal Resting Heart Rate |  Best Heart Rate Monitor | Irregular Heartbeat | Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation | Post Covid Fatigue | Endurance Training | Silent Heart Attack

Frontier X2:

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Heart attacks occur when there is a restriction or blockage of blood flow to the heart (ref. link). This blockage of blood flow can usually be traced back to the accumulation of fats, cholesterol, and other substances in the coronary arteries. These fatty and cholesterol-consisting deposits are medically termed “Plaques.” The continuous process of plaque accumulation is known as Atherosclerosis.

Plaques are prone to undergo eventual rupturing or clotting of blood that hinders your blood flow and circulation. The presence of plaque causes the heart to be Deprived (ref. link) of a steady bloodstream, which can injure or destroy a part of your heart muscle (ref. link). 

Two Primary Types of Heart Attacks

People should be aware of two primary types of heart attacks.

• Type I

In a type 1 heart attack (ref. link), the inner wall plaque ruptures and releases heavy amounts of cholesterol and other toxic substances into the bloodstream. This overload of fats and cholesterol can form a blood clot that can block an artery. This type of heart attack is called a STEMI, the signs of which are given below:

• Nausea
• Shortness of breath
• Anxiety
• Dizziness
• Breaking out in a cold sweat at random
  
• Type II

Heart attacks resulting from an inadequate supply of oxygen in the blood fall under this category. A complete blockage of arteries may not occur in this type of heart attack.

Top Symptoms of Heart Attack

In some cases, going into sudden cardiac arrest is the first sign of a heart attack. Although some heart attacks occur with no warning signs, experts state that the majority of people report (ref. link) initial signs hours, days, and even weeks in advance. Here are some early signs of a heart attack (ref. link).

• Pain in the Chest
  Several people who’ve experienced heart attacks report (ref. link) uneasiness and pain in the center or left portion of the chest. It is estimated to last for several minutes or may be recurrent. This discomfort may be described as an uncomfortable build-up of pressure, a squeezing sensation, or an overwhelming fullness in your chest.
  
• Weakness
  You may break into a cold sweat without any physical exertion. You may feel frequent light-headedness where you lose your balance or grip. You could even black out and faint on the spot.
• Discomfort
  You may experience sharp pain in body parts such as the jaw, neck, or back. Also, you are likely to experience discomfort in your arms or shoulders.
• Out of Breath
  Another common symptom of a heart attack is shortness of breath. This symptom is sometimes accompanied by discomfort in the chest.

Sex-Specific Symptoms

Some heart attack symptoms can be more common among women than men, and vice-versa. For instance, Women may experience atypical symptoms involving abrupt bursts of prickly pain in the neck, arm, or back area because they have smaller hearts and arteries. This explanation is used loosely to justify why women may show symptoms diverging from men, but it is not a one-size-fits-all approach.

In women, chest pain is the most common heart attack symptom. These are the symptoms women tend to experience more than men do.

• Breathlessness
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• The back and the jaw as the primary pain areas
• Dizziness
• Severe levels of fatigue

High levels of the hormone estrogen are present in women. This chemical reduces the risk of a heart attack. Therefore, women are at greater risk after they hit menopause.

Heart Attack Symptoms Specific to Diabetic People

Diabetic people are more prone to develop heart disease (ref. link). This is due to how diabetes is linked to blood pressure, which is linked to heart attacks. People with diabetes have other conditions that increase the risk of heart problems. High blood pressure is one of the most common medical conditions that people with diabetes experience. High blood pressure can increase the force of blood flow (ref. link) through your arteries, causing damage to the artery walls (ref. link).

Diabetic (ref. link) people are diagnosed with heart conditions earlier than those without diabetes. Adults diagnosed with diabetes face twice the risk (ref. link) of developing heart disease as compared to adults without diabetes. Possible signs of a heart attack in a diabetic person:

• Chest pain
• Breathlessness
• Passing out or nearly fainting
• Agitating fluttering in the chest
• Unexplainable rapid heartbeats
• Slowed heart rate
• Dizziness
• Numb or weak legs
• Pain in the neck, back, jaw, upper abdomen, and throat
• Extreme Tiredness
• Vomiting

Heart Symptoms Specific to Children

Although rare, the prevalence of heart attacks in younger groups is certainly possible. Their risks are elevated if they have a history of acquired or congenital heart disease.

The unfortunate occurrence of a heart attack in children is known as Myocardial Infarction. The signs of a heart attack in children are as follows:

• Fatigue
• Absence of an appetite
• Paleness
• Dyspnea
• Tachypnea
• Tachycardia
• Hypotension
• Weakened pulse
• Irregular heart rhythm

Signs of a heart attack in newborn infants include feeding problems, disinterest in the surroundings, irritability, diarrhea, sweating, nausea, pale skin, tachypnea, and dyspnea.

What to Do Next?

Call an ambulance immediately if you or someone around you experiences these symptoms. The person must chew or swallow an aspirin, and intake nitroglycerin if it is prescribed. CPR should be performed if he/she is unconscious. If an automated external defibrillator is available and the person is unconscious, follow the instruction manual and use it. 

Bottom Line

The risk factors for heart attack differ for each person; some might have one or more risk factors than others. Several non-fatal medical conditions like diabetes can play an active role in developing heart attacks over time. Heart attack symptoms vary from person to person, but the degree of seriousness should never be downplayed. 

Being vigilant about your heart health is a good idea for everyone, irrespective of age. You can buy the Frontier X2 from our website and take charge of your heart health through continuous ECG monitoring. Take charge of your heart health by using the Frontier X2 heart monitoring device and it’s revolutionary continuous ECG feature.

Frequently Asked Questions on Symptoms of Heart Attack :

What are the pre-heart attack symptoms?

The common heart attack symptoms include chest pain that may feel like pressure, tightness, pain, squeezing, or aching.

What is the fastest way to check for a heart attack?

Using an Electrocardiogram can help in suspecting heart attacks and should be done within 10 minutes of being admitted to the hospital. 

What are the symptoms of a heart attack?

• Chest pain or discomfort
• Feeling weak 
• Fainting
• Pain or discomfort in the jaw, neck, or back.
• Pain or discomfort in one or both arms or shoulders.
• Shortness of breath.

Will a heart attack wake you up?

Yes, both panic attacks and heart attacks can wake you from sleep

Can a heart attack go away?

A heart attack may or may not go away depending on the intensity of it, you should consult a doctor if you face any heart attack symptoms.

Other Heart Health Topics To Explore:

Healthy Heart Diet | Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation | Heart Palpitation Causes | Running Heart Rate Zones | Low Heart Rate | Best ECG Monitors. | AFib Risk Factors| | Acid Reflux | Increased Heart Rate

Frontier X2:

Smart Heart ECG Monitor in USA | ECG Machine Price in India | Best Heart Rate Monitor UK

At What Stage is a Low Heart Rate Bad For You

People are more in tune with their minute-to-minute heart rate than ever due to the rise of fitness tracking devices and smartwatches. Now that you’re able to constantly track it, you may have noticed slower-than-usual heart rates on occasion. This isn’t bad, and having a slow heart rate doesn’t mean you’re unhealthy. In some cases, an abnormally slow heart rate, medically known as Bradycardia, can indicate a healthy lifestyle.

Adults’ normal resting heart rate ranges from 60 to 100 beats per minute. However, if you have Bradycardia’, your heart beats fewer than 60 times a minute. A slow heart rate may or may not indicate better health and fitness, and we will go over the signs that indicate when a low heart rate is healthy and when it isn’t.

What is a Low Heart Rate?

Heart rates of 60 beats per minute (bpm) or below are considered low by medical professionals. Even when awake and active, people with Bradycardia have heart rates significantly lower than 60 beats per minute.

Symptoms of Low Heart Rate

It’s important to note that some people with Bradycardia have no other symptoms save a sluggish heart rhythm. Symptoms of Bradycardia in other people may include:

Exhaustion and weakness
Dizziness
Confusion and shortness of breath
Chest Pain
Cardiac arrest
Facial and head trauma

If your doctor suspects a problem with your heart rate, they can recommend a few straightforward tests to determine the cause. Electrocardiograms (ECGs) and echocardiograms (ultrasound of the heart) are examples of these tests.

Common Reasons for a Slow Heart Rate

The rate at which your heart beats varies naturally depending on your bodily needs and the activities you engage in. Causes of Bradycardia that are not harmful but can lead to low heart rate include:

• Sleep
  When we are asleep or otherwise at rest, our heart rate decreases. In a horizontal position, the heart does not have to pump as hard to overcome the effects of gravity while delivering blood to the body’s various organs and tissues. Since our bodies don’t require as much energy while we sleep, our heart eventually rests.
• Physical Fitness
  Regular cardiovascular exercise makes the heart stronger, and a heart that’s in better shape can do its job of pumping blood more effectively. A lower resting heart rate is typical for those who have been regularly engaging in physical exercise, which is a sign that their hearts are becoming more efficient.

Serious Conditions That Cause Low Heart Rate

People with preexisting heart issues, or those over 65, are more likely to experience Bradycardia due to their medical condition. The following are some conditions that may lead to Bradycardia:

• Sick Sinus Syndrome
  Sinus node dysfunction (SND), also known as sick sinus syndrome, is a disease characterized by abnormal impulse firing rates emanating from the sinus node. A person’s heart rate may increase, decrease, or fluctuate due to SND.
• Heart Electrical Pathways
  Our hearts beat thanks to a specialized electrical circuit. The signal can get distorted when there is a problem with the conduction system. An irregular heartbeat is what doctors refer to as an arrhythmia.
• Metabolic Abnormalities
  The proper pumping of the heart depends on a balance of electrolytes and hormones. A slow heart rate can result from several medical issues, including hypothyroidism and potassium deficiency.
• Oxygen Deprivation
  In the medical profession, hypoxia describes a state in which tissue oxygen levels are too low to function normally. Medical emergencies such as choking or a severe asthma attack can lead to hypoxia. It can also be caused by long-term health issues such as chronic obstructive lung disease.

When to See a Doctor?

You should see a doctor soon if you have any moderate symptoms. You should immediately get medical attention if you feel symptoms such as dizziness, chest pain, or difficulty breathing.

Aging can make you feel like you’re just going to have to accept things like fatigue, concentration difficulties, and increased respiratory effort. Tell your doctor about all symptoms you’re experiencing. Do not hesitate to let them know if you are seeing a marked increase in your rate of fatigue compared to previous months or years.

• Diagnosis
  Your doctor may recommend a 24-hour heart rate monitor if you’ve experienced Bradycardia. Your doctor will inquire about your current symptoms and past medical history.

• Treatment
  If your doctor diagnoses you with Bradycardia, they will develop a treatment strategy depending on the underlying cause. For instance, if hypothyroidism (low thyroid function) is to blame, the problem with the patient’s heart rate can be resolved by treating the causal condition.

If your doctor is unable to assess the cause using your input and the tests, they may alter your cardiac medication. To calm your heart muscle, your doctor may recommend a beta-blocker. If its use causes an abnormally slow heart rate, your doctor may reduce your dosage or switch to a different medication.

If these methods fail and your illness is severe enough to cause injury to your other organs, you may require a pacemaker. If your doctor has fitted you with a pacemaker, paying attention to their instructions for using the device and recognizing when it’s not functioning correctly is essential.

If you have a low heart rate, your doctor would most likely ask about your daily routine and perform a physical check. However, a low heart rate is not always a cause for alarm. The presence of Bradycardia is sometimes indicative of general health and fitness.

Monitoring your heart rate in real-time can help you understand your heart better. Take charge of your cardiac health by buying the revolutionary Frontier X2 heart monitoring device.

Frequently Asked Questions on Low Heart Rate :

How low can your heart rate go before it’s a problem?

What is deemed too slow can depend on your age and physical condition. For example, elderly people are more prone to Bradycardia, while adults have a resting heart rate of fewer than 60 beats per minute (BPM).

Is a heart rate of 40 dangerously low?

Many people typically have a resting heart rate between 40 and 60 beats a minute during sleep.

Is a resting pulse of 45 good?

A “normal” RHR falls between 60 and 100 beats per minute. An RHR under 60 can imply that you’re more physically fit and may be associated with adequate heart function.

Can Bradycardia cause a stroke?

Yes, Bradycardia may be associated with ischemic stroke, which is a stroke that blocks blood vessels in the brain.

Can a low heart rate be fatal?

A slow heartbeat may indicate that inadequate blood is being pumped to supply the heart’s needs. This can cause fatigue that is serious enough to sometimes cause cardiac arrest and death.

Other Heart Health Topics To Explore:

Healthy Heart Exercise | Arrhythmia Symptoms | Acid Reflux | Heart Rate Zones | Heart Palpitations After Eating |  Heart Attack Symptoms | Atrial Fibrillation Treatment | Cardiovascular Disease | Heart Rate Monitor Device| Best Heart Rate Monitor.

Frontier X2:

Smart Heart ECG Monitor in USA | ECG Machine Price in India | Best Heart Rate Monitor UK

Your heart health depends on multiple factors. Poor nutrition choices, mental health stressors, and negative lifestyle practices can all affect your heart and increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Some of the best ways to maintain your heart health are by engaging in physical activities like exercise and by maintaining a healthy diet. 

Even if you suffer from conditions like Atrial Fibrillation (AFib), exercise is essential to improving your heart health. It reduces the severity of AFib episodes, lowers blood pressure, and slows the resting heart rate.

Exercise and Its Significance to Heart Health

If you remain physically inactive it may lead to an increased risk (ref. link) of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, lung cancer, and early death. Exercise is an efficient way to prevent such fatalities and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Taking time out for 2-3 exercise sessions a week helps reduce weight, improve blood pressure, decrease cardiovascular mobility, and ensure that your heart does not face any challenges in pumping blood and oxygen throughout the body.

Your heart beats faster when you exercise, increasing blood circulation and oxygen supply to your muscles. This is because your heart is attempting to match the demand for blood/oxygen created by physical activity. Training consistently trains your heart to be able to contract at a higher force as it gets used to the increased demands. As such, your heart health improves, and you’re able to physically exert yourself to a greater extent.

Exercise and Heart Health

Exercise sessions can affect your heart health positively in various ways.

• Helps Lower Blood Pressure
  Exercising reduces blood vessel stiffness and allows the blood to flow easily inside your body. Walking, jogging, cycling, and swimming are some of the best physical activities that help lower blood pressure and improve your heart health.

• Enhances Blood Flow
  Cardiovascular exercises enable enhanced blood flow from the heart into the smaller vessels surrounding it. They also prevent fatty deposit blockages and allow better blood circulation to avoid heart attacks. Exercise helps create better connections between small blood vessels, and creates more paths for the blood to travel across your body. Studies (ref. link) also reveal that exercise boosts blood flow to the brain and helps adults slow the onset of memory loss.

• Improves Oxygen Supply
  Given its significance, it’s important to reiterate that exercise also makes your heart and lungs work harder to supply more oxygen that your muscles demand. Regular exercise also helps your body recover quickly by increasing blood flow and reducing fatigue.

• Reduced Risk of Stroke, Diabetes, and Heart Diseases
  Studies (ref. link) show that routine exercise helps reduce the risk of coronary heart disease in men and women. Moreover, active individuals have a 20% (ref. link) lower chance of having a stroke. Exercise also helps keep your blood sugar levels in a healthier range, and lowers the risk of prediabetes or type 2 diabetes.
  Exercise sessions are one of the best options for people with AFib or atrial fibrillation because they help keep the condition in check. Research (ref. link) reveals that people who are fit experience fewer AFib episodes than those with lower fitness levels.

• Increases High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL) or Good Cholesterol
  Exercise sessions can help you lose weight and lower your triglyceride fats that increase your HDL levels. Studies (ref. link) suggest that 60-minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise a week can help increase the amount of good cholesterol in your body. Strength training and high-intensity exercises also help raise HDL levels and improve your heart’s arterial functions.

Exercises that Boost Heart Health

Physical activities are one of the most effective ways to strengthen your heart muscles, keep your weight under control, and ward off artery damage related to high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or diabetes.

Here are the top three exercises that can help boost your heart health. 

• Aerobic Exercise
  Aerobic exercises help improve blood circulation and lower blood pressure. They also reduce the risk of stroke and type 2 diabetes by impacting your blood glucose levels. Work towards aerobically exercising for 30 minutes a day, at least five days a week. Swimming, cycling, brisk walking, jumping rope, etc., are some examples of aerobic exercises.

• Resistance Training
  Resistance training positively impacts your body composition, helps reduce fat, and creates lean muscle mass. Research (ref. link) also proves that a combination of aerobic exercises and resistance training helps increase good cholesterol and lower bad cholesterol in the body.
  According to the American College of Sports Medicine (ref. link), you should undergo resistance training at least two non-consecutive days a week. Resistance training can involve the use of free weights, weight machines, resistance bands, or even engaging in bodyweight exercises like squats or push ups.

• Yoga
  Stretching your body through yoga asanas can benefit your musculoskeletal and heart health.  Practising yoga can help lower blood cholesterol, blood pressure, glucose levels, heart rate, increase flexibility, and prevent cramps and joint pain. Flexibility and stretching also play a vital role in maintaining postures during aerobic exercises and resistance training activities.
  The best part about yoga is that you can do it before or after your regular exercise sessions. Yoga asanas like the chair pose, tree pose, bridge pose, and mountain pose are some of the most recommended physical activities for a healthy heart.

Bottom Line

Regular exercise positively impacts your heart health. However, the best way to incorporate cardiovascular activities into your lifestyle is by consulting a health expert. You can take your physician’s assistance to create a plan that gradually increases your capacity to do cardiovascular exercise. This also enables you to establish a baseline for your resting heart rate, blood pressure, and cholesterol to track your fitness cycle.

Studies (ref. link) have proved that increased physical activities reduce the risk of age-related cardiovascular diseases. Exercise sessions help reduce stress hormones that may affect the heart. They work as beta blockers to slow your heart rate and lower blood pressure. 

Finally, purchase the revolutionary Frontier X2 heart health and fitness tracker to maximise the health benefits of your exercise routine.

Other Heart Health Topics To Explore:

Silent heart attack | Heart Rate Monitor Device | Heart Health| Resting Heart Rate  | Healthy Heart Tips | Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation | Increased Heart rate | Irregular Heartbeat causes | AFib and Heart | Best Heart Rate Monitor

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A heart-healthy diet plan is the best way to strengthen one of the most precious organs in your body, your heart. Despite the advances in health care, heart conditions continue to be a primary cause for concern around the world. Today, over 11 million (ref. link) people in Europe suffer from cardiovascular disorders (CDVs), whereas in the UK alone, about 7.6 million (ref. link) people live with a type of heart or circulatory condition.

Years of research (ref. link) have shown that having a poor diet is associated with an increased risk of heart conditions. Therefore, a cornerstone of improving your heart health is a heart-healthy diet, including foods from various food groups like fruits, nuts, whole grains, vegetables, vegetable-based oils, and more. These foods can help reduce your bad cholesterol (LDL), lower blood pressure, and decrease triglycerides in your blood. 

As such, simply choosing a healthier diet plan can help you address and combat many risk factors for heart-related conditions. In other words, you can reduce the chance of developing certain health conditions in the future by making such positive lifestyle changes now.

What to Eat in a Healthy Heart Diet Plan?

While diet alone is not enough to ensure a healthy heart, it is a great place to start. So, here are six things to keep in mind about a heart-healthy diet plan.

• Add More Fruits and Vegetables to Your Diet
  Fruits and vegetables are a great source of minerals and vitamins, also having a high fibre content. Vegetables like spinach, kale, and collard greens contain dietary nitrates, which reduce blood pressure and arterial stiffness. You can also add avocados – which contain monounsaturated fats and lower cholesterol – and berries – a rich antioxidant source – into a diet for heart disease prevention.
• Select Low-fat Proteins for a Heart-healthy Diet Plan
  The British Heart Foundation (ref. link) recommends consuming at least 0.75 g of protein per kilo of your body weight. However, the type of protein you eat matters. Low-fat dairy, eggs, lean meat, poultry, and fish are some good sources of protein. Switching specifically to fish as an alternative to high-fat meats is fantastic. This is because certain fish have high omega-3 fatty acid content, which reduces triglycerides (fats) in your blood circulation, and prevents fat deposition on your artery walls.
  If you are looking for a meat-free heart-healthy diet, you can choose legumes like beans, lentils, and peas. They are a low-fat protein source and have no cholesterol. You can also go for plant based sources of omega-3-rich fatty acids like chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, and hemp seeds.
• Consume More Fibre
  You can find dietary fibre, or roughage, in whole grains, fruits, nuts, seeds, vegetables, and beans. It is a type of carbohydrate consisting of indigestible plant parts, and passes through your intestines relatively unchanged. As this fibre passes through your body, it helps in digestion and helps eliminate waste. There are two types of fibres: soluble and insoluble.
  While soluble fibres dissolve in water and help control blood glucose and cholesterol levels, insoluble fibres help food move along your digestive system. Control of blood sugar reduces the risk of diabetes which, in turn, reduces the risk of heart disease.
• Lower Saturated and Trans Fat Intake
  We all need a little fat in our diets, but not all fats are the same. Saturated and trans fats are the bad fats which raise your low-density lipid (LDL, or bad cholesterol) content. This leads to quicker plaque build-up in your arteries. On the other hand, unsaturated fats like polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats have cardioprotective properties. They reduce LDL concentration in the blood and lower CVD risk.
  In particular, polyunsaturated fats found in plant oils like soybean, corn, sunflower oils, walnuts, and flaxseed oils are more effective in reducing LDL. So, try using these liquid, non-tropical plant oils while cooking. You can also try switching out red meat and certain types of cheese from your diet in favour of avocados, olives, flaxseed, soy, and fatty fish.
• Control Your Sugar and Salt Intake
  It can be difficult to resist the sugary goodness of sweet beverages and melt-in-your-mouth desserts. The good news is you don’t have to completely eliminate sugar from your diet to protect your heart, just limit its intake. The same goes for your salt intake. While limiting sugar and salt intake at home is a good first step, much of the salt and sugar you consume comes from processed foods.
  Try opting for home-cooked meals instead of takeouts. However, if you like the convenience of canned foods and prepared meals, go for the ones with no added salt or sugar.
• Don’t Neglect Physical Activities
  Maintaining a healthy body weight is vital in reducing the risk of heart disease. Hence, in addition to modifying your heart-healthy diet plan do not forget to pay attention to your weight. You can start by understanding how many calories you need to consume or shed to maintain your healthy weight. You can consult your healthcare professional to find out the amount of physical activity you require per week.
  If you find sticking to a routine exercise difficult, you can look for alternative ways to exercise. For instance, try to find a parking space that is a few minutes walk away from your destination to help you burn a few additional calories. Take the stairs instead of an elevator every day. However you do it, try to ensure you engage in physical activities throughout the week.

A Healthy Heart Diet for a Healthy Life

Add vegetables, fruits, and whole grains to your meals and snacks; select lean proteins and limit your intake of processed foods. Also, remember to watch your portion sizes and try new food combinations in your heart-healthy diet plan. This will ensure you get all the nutrients you need while making meals more interesting. 

All this being said, you shouldn’t forget to allow yourself an occasional treat to balance things out. With planning and healthy food substitutions for a well-balanced diet, you can ensure your heart is in good shape and lower the risk of heart diseases.

Finally, maximise the health benefits of eating healthy by monitoring numerous important cardiac metrics with the revolutionary Frontier X2

Other Heart Health Topics To Explore:

Running Heart Rate | Heart Attack causes | Wearable ECG Monitor | Cardio Exercise | Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation | Stress Test for Heart | Heart Attack Symptoms | Heart Palpitations Causes | Low Carb Diet | Healthy Heart Tips

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WHAT IS ATHLETE’S HEART?

In simple terms, this is a syndrome afflicting athlete’s that refers to an increase in cardiac mass due to systematic endurance training. This article will look at the precise manner in which this syndrome develops, considering the most significant implications.

THE CARDIAC BIOMARKERS

Sports that require sustained elevations in cardiac work – like marathons, rowing, swimming, cycling – naturally require prolonged/chronic endurance training from their athlete’s. This imposes a higher hemodynamic demand on the heart that alters the loading condition of the heart⁽¹⁾. One may observe structural changes such as enlarged left ventricle and right ventricle volumes, increased left ventricle wall thickness, or higher cardiac mass with increased left atrial size. Although highly trained athletes tend to adapt to these structural deformations, when these conditions are paired with a preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (ref. link), they are associated with poor cardiac prognosis in the general population. This adaptation that has become typical amongst highly trained athlete’s was aptly named Athlete’s Heart.

The factor of concern regarding this topic is that these structural cardiac adaptations in athletes do not completely regress to normal levels even several years after retirement from competitive strength training for endurance⁽¹⁰⁾.

The most commonly observed structural and functional alterations in the physiology of endurance athletes tend to be in cardiac and renal regions. Serologic markers that are indicators of cardiac damage – like cardiac troponin, creatine kinase MB, and B-type natriuretic peptide –have been documented to be elevated in up to 50% of participants during and after marathons and other extreme endurance activities.

THE RENAL BIOMARKERS

In addition to cardiac damage, transient renal dysfunction has also been correlated with extreme muscular endurance training as it can cause volume depletion and diminished renal filtration, and increased levels of serum urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, and cystatin C. Increased levels of these cardiac biomarkers is an indication of myocardial cell damage in any endurance athlete. However, the significance of the elevated cardiac biomarkers is not 100% certain, and some argue that these may be entirely benign increases resulting from cardiovascular adaptations to long-term endurance training ^(2-5).

In our article titled ‘Endurance Training: The Best Heart Health Drug There Is? (ref. link)’, we discuss informative statistics regarding increased cardiac output during endurance training. One should consider these statistics and the fact that some individuals may be prone to developing chronic structural changes over time that occur due to the recurrent volume overload and excessive cardiac strain. These abnormalities are often asymptomatic and develop over many years, but they might predispose you to serious arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation and/or ventricular arrhythmias.

Heart Health | Running Heart Rate | Increased Heart rate | Irregular Heartbeat causes | AFib and Heart | Atrial Fibrillation | Endurance Training |  Heart Rate Monitors | Exercise for Heart Health | Resting Heart Rate

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It’s never too late to start incorporating regular aerobic exercise (Cardio) into your routine. Aerobic exercise can help middle-aged people (ref. link) reverse the detrimental effects of a lifetime of sedentary living. According to research published in the American Heart Association journal Circulation (ref. link), 45-64 year old adults that exercised 4-5 times per week for 2 years saw improvements in their body’s ability to use oxygen, as well as reductions in the stiffness that comes with sedentary ageing in their hearts. We’ll briefly discuss the value of cardio and outline how much of it is best for your heart health.

What is Cardio Exercise?

Cardiovascular exercise, often known as aerobic or endurance exercise, is any exercise that involves the aerobic system. Your heart rate rises to maximise the amount of oxygen in your blood, and you breathe more deeply to aid more effective oxygen usage. As a result, you burn more fat and calories. 

Cardio exercise is any strenuous activity that works for the body’s big muscle groups repeatedly and rhythmically while raising heart rate, breathing, oxygen, and blood flow levels. Such exercise gradually strengthens your most important internal organs. 

Cardiovascular exercises or aerobic exercises raise your heart rate into your target heart rate zone (ref. link). This is where you burn most fat and calories and start to lose weight. Heart health, mental health, mood, sleep, weight management, and metabolism are just a few health-related factors that exercise improves.

How Much is Cardio Really Good for Heart Health?

According to health authorities (ref. link), adults should engage in 150 minutes of cardio exercise per week. Cardio has the advantage of being extremely effective with little effort – even 10-minute workouts add to your weekly cardiac activity requirements! Determine how much time you can devote to cardio per day in a week and schedule it accordingly. 

Breaking up your sessions into 10- to 15-minute segments may feel less intimidating if you are just getting started. When the activity becomes low effort, extend your time by five minutes, and soon you’ll  be hitting 30 to 60 minutes sessions. 

If you want to lower your blood pressure or LDL cholesterol (the “bad” cholesterol), the American Heart Association (ref. link) (AHA) recommends engaging in 40 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity exercise 3-5 times per week. As always, it’s vital to consult your doctor to develop an exercise regimen tailored to your requirements and general health, particularly if you are taking care of chronic disease.

Major Categories of Cardio Exercise

• High Impact Cardio
  High-impact cardio refers to exercises that require you to lift both feet off the ground at some stage. This exercise is also known as a weight-bearing exercise because you are using your limbs to maintain body weight against the pull of gravity. Some high impact cardio exercises are jumping rope, running, squat jumps, burpees, and mountain climbers.
• Low Impact Exercise
  Any cardiovascular exercise carried out while keeping one foot firmly planted on the ground is called low-impact exercise. But as many low-impact activities are high-intensity, low-impact cardio should not be mistaken for low-intensity cardio. Low-impact cardio is beneficial for keeping strong bones and strengthening the heart and lungs and is still a weight-bearing workout.
• No Impact Cardio
  Because being submerged in water lessens the force of gravity on the body, cardiovascular exercise done in water is categorised as a no-impact workout. Swimming and water aerobics are low-impact cardio exercises. Riding a water bike is also a no-impact aerobic activity because most of the body weight is supported by the water bike’s tires and frame.

Benefits of Cardio Exercise

Doing cardio exercises helps your body and heart in several ways. It improves the body and the psyche, making you feel energised and elated. Here are a few of its advantages: 

• It Strengthens Your Heart Health
  Cardiovascular exercise improves heart health and improves blood circulation throughout the body. Monitoring your resting heart rate, or the number of times your heart beats per minute, will allow you to determine how cardio has affected the health of your heart.
  The typical rate range is 60 to 100 beats per minute. Cardio can help lower your resting heart rate –  because a stronger heart can pump blood faster throughout the body, which means fewer heartbeats are required to do the same task. Naturally, improved blood flow also lowers the risk of heart attacks.
• Improve Your Mental Health (ref. link)
  Cardiovascular exercise has mental health benefits and physical health advantages. When your workout is over, you often feel great. This is because exercise or physical activity causes your body to release feel-good endorphins.
  It’s a useful tool to help you find some relief from certain negative emotions. Your mood is lifted and your self esteem raised. Additionally, it aids in lowering stress levels, which in turn results in increased levels of happiness.
• Increase Your Metabolism
  onitorMuch like your heart rate, your Metabolic Rate is increased by cardiovascular exercise. In general, more vigorous exercise workouts will result in a higher metabolic rate boost. Sprints with short, sharp intervals, generally referred to as HIIT, boost metabolism, with EPOC (Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption) providing the biggest rise. A faster metabolism makes it simpler to maintain your weight.
• Weight Regulation
  Cardio helps to burn extra calories and manage weight by raising the heart rate into the target heart rate zone, which is the zone where the body burns most calories. Activities like walking, swimming, and running do burn calories, but over a longer period of time. Conversely, moderate to high-intensity cardio exercises burn many calories every single workout. Jumping rope, running stairs, rowing, cycling, and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) are some examples of cardio workouts that are very good for losing weight.

To reach your healthy heart goals, you should perform as much cardio as you need but pay attention to how  your body reacts and makes any necessary adjustments. You are most likely doing too much if you notice that you are feeling excess fatigue from cardio. Include rest days, slow down your speed, or change some workout days to include strength training in this case. Stay safe, and get healthier!

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Frequently Asked Questions on Cardio Exercise For Heart Health :

Is cardio really good for your heart?

Frequent cardio-based physical activity helps the heart to attain improved blood flow in the small vessels near it, where blockages of fatty deposits can create over time. This leads to better circulation in these areas which may prevent heart attacks.

How much cardio is enough for heart health?

As per the Physical Activity Guidelines issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommend, at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity physical activity is good for heart health.

Can cardio exercise reverse heart disease?

According to a new study by cardiologists at UT Southwestern and Texas Health Resources, exercise can reverse damage to sedentary, ageing hearts and aid in preventing risk of future heart failure.

How do I strengthen my heart?

Below activities can help in strengthening one’s heart:

1. Exercise
2. Lose weight
3. Add heart-healthy foods
4. Avoid overeat
5. Don’t stress

How long does it take to strengthen your heart?

Having regular exercise, it may take about 8 to 12 weeks to increase your aerobic capacity, which means that your heart and lungs are able to shuttle oxygen to your muscles better.

Other Heart Health Topics To Explore:

Resting Heart Rate | Heart Attack Symptoms | Atrial Fibrillation Heart Rate | Cardiovascular Disease | Heart Rate During Exercise | Best ECG Monitor | Heart Healthy Tips | Arrhythmia Causes | Heart Palpitations After Eating | Heart Rate Zones

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Running requires sustained, repetitive motion over an extended length of time. As such, a runner’s ability to maintain their energy level over longer distances depends on their stamina and endurance. Improving your stamina and endurance is easy; all you need is the motivation to make each mile count. Soon you’ll be able to run longer distances, relishing the resultant runner’s high.

We will discuss the ways in which you can model your exercise schedule to develop your stamina and endurance.

Tips on Increasing Endurance and Stamina for Running

1. Remain consistent

Even if you feel ready to increase your speed or distance, it’s a good idea to start slowly and focus on making small improvements to your training regimen. This is especially true if you’ve never maintained a regular running schedule. For instance, you shouldn’t increase your run distance to 7 miles if your average distance is 4. Go up gradually, because adding 1 mile every week helps prevent injury and exhaustion (ref. link).

As expected, your endurance will improve if you run as often as you can. Follow a schedule and go for a run at least three times a week. That being said, your running frequency should be based on your fitness level and running experience. If you’re a beginner, start slow by committing to 1-2 runs a week, thereby giving your body time to acclimatise.

Below are some ways to help you commit to your schedule.

• Schedule a time in advance: Sometimes life can get super busy, leaving you with little time to think about things like working out. Marking a ‘Run Time’ in your schedule beforehand helps the behaviour become automatic, so you don’t miss it even when life is hectic. 
• Set an alarm: The alarm itself can serve as motivation. The alarm will remind you of the commitment you have made, making you more likely to stick to it.
• Find a running partner: Exercise adherence can be increased by running with friends as the activity is more enjoyable and there’s someone to hold you accountable. 

2. Perform plyometrics

Plyometrics is training that uses the speed and force of different movements to build muscle power. Consider performing clap push-ups, box jumps, squat jumps, and tuck jumps. These force your muscles to exert all of their energy in a short period of time, which increases muscular power (ref. link). This benefits running endurance in several ways:

• The muscular contractions in between eccentric and concentric movements help you store more energy (ref. link). For the majority of individuals, a full contraction is the strongest muscle activity. Through plyometric exercises, which produce the most force during the concentric period, this is improved. Your body’s increased ability to generate force may cause a movement to happen more quickly.
• Plyometrics improves the flexibility of your muscles. Your muscles’ fibres are stretched during plyometric exercises, which over time, increases your flexibility. For instance, to complete a box jump, you must stoop down and extend your quadriceps before launching yourself upward.
• Plyometrics strengthens the fibres in your muscles. Your muscles are put through a new kind of stress when you use explosive movements to work against resistance. As a result, muscle fibres undergo the hypertrophy process, which makes them stronger and larger.

3. Never neglect strength training

Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned runner, strength training should be a part of your training schedule. Before thinking about running, you must warm-up and do some stretches. Warming up prepares your body for jogging (ref. link). As your body temperature rises, your blood flow to your muscles is improved. For a suitable warm-up, perform rapid stretching activities like spot jogging, jumping jacks, side bends, as well as ankle, neck, arm, shoulder, and waist rotations.

Warming up will lower your chance of injury, make your muscles more flexible, and lessen their discomfort. As your running endurance improves, you’ll be able to run faster for longer while consuming less oxygen (ref. link).

Strength training (ref. link) can also help you build muscle and joint strength, making it simpler to contract key muscle groups. The more effectively muscles are used, the better one’s movement. Here are some exercises to include in your strength training:

• Overbent rows
• Squats
• Vertical press
• Deadlifts
• Lunges

4. Eliminate Stress

A critical component of stamina that is sometimes ignored is how you handle stress; physical or emotional. When you’re anxious, your body is already vulnerable. Your immune system deteriorates, hormone imbalances are brought on by elevated cortisol and adrenaline levels, and sleeping is difficult due to increased stress. Essentially, stress hinders the healing process (ref. link).

Yoga, mindfulness, and meditation are some of the finest practices for stress management (ref. link)—these techniques aid in reducing inflammation, calming the neurological system, and easing muscular tension.

5. Timely recovery

After your run, cool down your body to allow your blood pressure and heart rate to gradually return to normal. Cooling down is similar to warming up. It should consist of stretching exercises and slower, gentler motions for 3 to 10 minutes. This is especially important when you go on longer runs. There are various methods by which you can ensure good rest between sessions.

• Getting enough rest like a small nap can boost your running endurance. While light exercise can promote sleep, heavy training can have the opposite effect. On days you want to run a significant distance, increase your sleep duration by at least 30 minutes.
• After a run, be sure to hydrate well. In order to do that, you must drink 150% (ref. link) more fluids than you sweat out. When you ingest a high-salt beverage, like a sports drink, your body may retain fluids.
• Post workout massages are highly helpful for healing.

There are a number of factors that influence the development of your stamina and running endurance. Do your best to keep these factors in mind and you will slowly but surely see impressive results. This is not a process that can be completed overnight, but if you stay consistent you will start to see that distances that were once taxing are now light work. That’s the aim.

Finally, maximise the improvement of your endurance by using the revolutionary Frontier X2 ECG Fitness Tracking device.

Other Heart Health Topics To Explore:

Endurance Training | Low Carb Diet | Yoga for Heart Health | Irregular Heartbeat causes | AFib and Heart | Atrial Fibrillation Heart Rate | Resting Heart Rate | Best Heart Rate Monitor | Running Heart Rate | Increased Heart rate

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Did you know that heart disease is one of the leading causes of death (ref. link) for both men and women in the UK? Research suggests that there are more than 30,000 out-of-hospital heart attacks in the UK each year, with a survival rate of less than 1 in 10. Despite extensive research to combat this problem, heart disease remains a major contributor to spiking death rates all over the world. 

That being said, unlike many other illnesses, heart disease can be kept at bay by making simple changes to your lifestyle. That’s why we have curated a list of 5 basic lifestyle changes that are incredibly effective in improving heart health.

Top 5 Ways To Strengthen Your Heart

1. Adopt Healthy Diet for a Healthy Heart

Monitoring your eating habits is one of the easiest lifestyle changes you can make to benefit your heart. Take charge of your heart’s health by switching to heart-healthy foods. Below are some of the primary dietary restrictions you should consider.

• Limit Daily Sodium Intake
  Too much sodium intake can cause excessive water retention in the body. When this occurs your heart has to work harder to circulate the additional fluid through your body. Switch to food products with “no salt added” labels and avoid foods containing more than 400 milligrams of sodium per serving. The recommended daily sodium intake is below 1500 milligrams per adult (ref. link).
• Lower Your Saturated Fat Intake
  You can reduce your fat intake by eating low-fat cuts of meat and avoiding high-fat dairy products.
• Switch To Unsaturated Fats
  Unsaturated fats are considered heart-healthy as they lower the inflammation in your body. Heart-healthy fats include vegetable oil, low-fat mayonnaise, and oil-based salad dressings.
• Increase Your Dietary Fibre Intake
  Eating a fibre-rich diet lowers cholesterol level significantly. The way this works is by lowering the amount of LDL cholesterol that is absorbed into your bloodstream. High-fibre foods you should be eating include whole-wheat pasta, barley, chickpeas, lentils, and edamame.
• Add Low-Fat Dairy Products To Your Diet
  Low-fat dairy products provide a solid nutritional base for losing weight, and thus reducing heart diseases. Some low-fat dairy products are skim milk, soy milk, low-fat yoghurt, and fat-free cheese.

 2. Maintain Heart Health with Daily Exercise

A major step you must take in your journey towards good heart health is adding exercise to your daily routine. Being one of the most effective tools for strengthening the heart muscle, it keeps your weight under control and wards off artery damage from high cholesterol, high blood sugar, and high blood pressure. 

• Aerobics / “Cardio”
  Aerobic fitness is one of the keys to keeping your heart healthy. Aerobic exercise is defined as cardiovascular exercise, “cardio”, that gets your heart pumping. During aerobic exercise, your blood pumps quickly throughout your body, and your lungs take in more oxygen. The word aerobic means “with oxygen,” meaning that your breathing determines the amount of oxygen that gets to your muscles. Try not to exceed your average heart rate while exercising, and always stop if you feel lightheaded or dizzy.
• Strength Training
  Also known as Resistance Training, strength training increases muscle strength by making your muscles work against a weight or force. Examples include using free weights, weight machines, resistance bands, and bodyweight training. It is important to include regular strength training sessions in your schedule. Strength training helps raise HDL (good) cholesterol and lower LDL (bad) cholesterol. Try strength training at least twice a week.
• Stretching
  Simple stretching before and after other exercises benefits musculoskeletal health. This enables you to stay flexible and free from joint pain, cramps, and other muscular issues.

 3. Strengthen Your Heart with These Lifestyle Changes

There are a few harmful habits that can seriously affect your heart health. You may adapt the following positive habits for a healthy heart.

• Quit Smoking
  Do your heart a favour, quit smoking. Even passive, or secondhand, smoking should be avoided as much as possible as its impact is more significant than you’d think. Cigarette smoke is known to contain over 7,000 chemicals (ref. link). If you find someone smoking around you, remove yourself from the area or request them to smoke somewhere else.
• Avoid Excess Alcohol Intake
  Drinking alcohol above the recommended levels can lead to increased heart rate, high blood pressure, and weakened heart muscle. Limit consumption to a couple of drinks per day for better heart health.
• Maintain A Healthy Weight
  Excessive weight can cause fat accumulation in your arteries, eventually leading to clogged arteries and heart disease. Maintaining a moderate weight ensures that your heart doesn’t have to pump extra blood. Try maintaining your weight within the recommended range based on your age and height.
• Regular Health Screening
  Regular health checks for blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels can tell you face the risk of developing a heart ailment. For adults aged between 18 and 39, blood pressure screening should be done once a year, and cholesterol levels should be checked at least once in every 2 years.

 4. Keep Your Blood Pressure in Control

The higher your blood pressure, the greater your risk of heart attack, stroke, congestive heart failure, loss of mental function, and dementia. High blood pressure, or hypertension, is defined as blood pressure above 140/90 mm Hg.

Most people with high blood pressure (hypertensive patients) can control their blood pressure without medications by following these steps:

• Try eating at least five servings of vegetables and four servings of fruit daily
• Limit calorie-dense foods loaded with fat, sugar, and refined grains
• Limit sodium consumption
• Limit alcohol consumption
• Exercise daily

5. Get Adequate Sleep

People who do not get adequate sleep are at a higher risk of obesity, heart attack, blood pressure, diabetes, and depression. Seven hours of sleep each night is recommended for a healthy mind and body. Not only should you get the requisite hours, you should follow a sleep schedule by going to bed and waking up at the same time every day.

If you feel that your body and mind remain tired even though you’re getting seven hours of sleep per day, ask your healthcare provider if you need to be tested for obstructive sleep apnea, a condition that elevates your risk of heart disease. 

Signs of obstructive sleep apnea include loud snoring, difficulty breathing during sleep, and then waking up gasping for air. It can be treated by maintaining an appropriate weight and using a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device to keep the airways open while sleeping.

Bottom Line

A healthy heart lifestyle involves understanding and evaluating your health risks, making healthy choices, and taking gradual steps to prevent heart disease, including coronary heart disease. By taking precautionary and preventive measures, you can easily lower the risk of heart diseases that could lead to a heart attack.

Finally, the best way to make sure all of these methods are improving your heart health is by monitoring important cardiac metrics. Do so by purchasing the revolutionary Frontier X2 heart monitoring device!

Other Heart Health Topics To Explore:

Arrhythmia Causes | Atrial Fibrillation Heart Rate | Endurance Training | Heart Palpitations After Eating | Heart Health | Running Heart Rate. | Increased Heart rate | Irregular Heartbeat causes | Heart Attack Symptoms | Best Heart Rate Monitor

Frontier X2:

Smart Heart ECG Monitor in USA | ECG Machine Price in India | Best Heart Rate Monitor UK