What is the Best Type of Aerobic Exercise for Preventing Heart Disease?

What is the Best Type of Aerobic Exercise for Preventing Heart Disease?

Aerobic exercise is great for keeping your heart healthy. Heart attacks, stroke and heart disease can all be prevented with a smart diet and consistent exercise plan. Basically, any physical activity that gets your heart beating quicker than normal is great for heart health. This moves oxygen throughout your body, which keeps your internal and external processes and body parts healthy and happy.

One of the best ways to accomplish this is through aerobic exercise.

Think of aerobic physical activity as medium to above average in intensity, and continuing for an extended period of time.

In other words, heart-pumping activities like running, swimming and cycling are aerobic in nature. They elevate your heart rate and keep that accelerated level sustained with a moderate to above average level of intensity.

So, what is the single best type of aerobic activity for preventing heart disease? As we just mentioned, enjoying a few laps in the pool, jogging around your block or bicycling on your favorite nature trail are all great ways to promote heart health.

However, for multiple reasons, the best heart healthy aerobic exercise is …

Walking at a brisk pace.

Yes, as hard as it may be to believe, simply walking at an above average rate of speed can impact your heart in a positive manner. Running and cycling, body weight training and hitting the treadmill are all excellent aerobic exercises.

However, they cause a greater impact on your joints.

This can lead to physical problems in both the short and long-term. Additionally, in the early part of the 21st century, health professionals, doctors, and physical trainers have discovered that lengthy periods of running and biking can actually take years off of your life!

To effectively benefit from the aerobic benefits of brisk walking, remember this.

You only need 2.5 to 3.5 hours of moderately intense physical activity each week to boost your heart health. Some studies have shown that 5 or more hours of aerobic activity weekly does more physical damage than good, even shortening your life span.

So get walking. Walk around your office building at lunchtime. Walk to and from work if you can. Walk instead of driving whenever possible. Schedule 3 to 5 brisk walking sessions of 30 to 45 minutes each week.

Your heart and body will benefit from this extremely efficient, low-impact aerobic exercise, and you won’t experience the pounding, high-impact dangers that some aerobic exercises deliver.