Exercise for Heart Health in 30 Minutes a Day

Spring is a beautiful time of the year. Now that it is here, the days are getting longer and warmer. People are getting more active and everything is blooming and coming to life. If you’ve fallen out of condition or become sedentary over the winter, it’s not too late to bring yourself up to speed. The best news is that it doesn’t take as much time as you might think. You don’t always have to work out for an hour to get benefits from exercise. In fact, you can have a mean and lean workout in just 30 minutes. Here are a few ideas:

-  Maximize your time by including both cardiovascular and resistance training. A good rule of thumb is 20 minutes of resistance and 10 minutes of cardio.

-  Mix it up with some boot camp-style moves including push-ups, plank crunches, lunges, and squats. These will not only get your blood pumping but they will also keep you toned and help you to burn fat.

-  Lift weights. That’s right. Weight training should not be ignored when it comes to overall physical conditioning. You build muscle and raise your heart rate when lifting weights with a moderate intensity.

As always, safety comes first. Check with your healthcare provider before starting an exercise program. Also - whatever exercise you choose - don’t forget to warm up, cool down and stretch. Overall, remember to set realistic goals for yourself. If you’re just beginning, it’s OK to start out slowly. As you get accustomed to exercising daily, you can come up with more challenging goals and benefit from your improved fitness level. Many people wonder if they will be able to find the time to exercise. But in most cases making fitness a priority will help to create the time. For example, watching less television each day presents the opportunity to replace that time with physical activity. Do you have your own ideas for getting active?