Working Out for Heart Health
Working Out for Your Heart
By Jenna Walters, SPT, ACSM-CPT
February is American Heart Month. Physical activity helps strengthens the heart and improves blood circulation to prevent arterial damage due to high cholesterol and blood pressure, which can lead to heart attack or stroke. According to the Physical Activity (PA) Guidelines for Americans, it is recommended that one should perform either 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity per week, or both in combination. The most recent guidelines have omitted the need for physical activity to occur in bouts of at a minimum of 10 minutes, providing more opportunities to perform exercise throughout the day. So, what would these levels of activities look like?
The PA guidelines endorses the “Talk Test”, having individuals pay attention to their heart rate and breathing, and the 0-10 scale known as the “Rate of Perceived Exertion” (RPE). These help to assess one’s personal, or relative intensity, with people representing various fitness levels.
Moderate Intensity Activity:
- Talk Test: Can talk without pausing but cannot sing.
- RPE: a 5 or 6, out of 10
Vigorous Intensity Activity:
- Talk Test: Cannot say more than a few words without pausing for a breath.
- RPE: a 7 or 8, out of 10
Activities can include walking, biking, swimming, jogging, dancing, recreational sports, and fitness classes, with intensity of these activities adjusted using the Talk Test and RPE to meet relative moderate and vigorous intensity levels. Remember, you can also perform activity for short periods of time and have them count. Do a brisk walk or jog for a minute or two at a vigorous intensity, then rest for a minute or two, repeating for a few cycles, or go out for a 5-minute walk for a work break, or perform 1 minute of squats during TV commercial breaks.
Need a Workout Idea?
High intensity interval training or HIIT, is an effective way to get the cardiovascular benefits of exercise, working towards a vigorous intensity for short periods of time, followed by rest periods. Here is a workout to get you started on your HIIT journey:
30 seconds jumping jacks, 30 seconds rest, repeat 4 times
30 seconds squats, 30 seconds rest, repeat 4 times
30 seconds high knee march or run, 30 seconds rest, repeat 4 times
30 seconds push-ups, 30 seconds rest, repeat 4 times
You can increase the exercise time and/or decrease the rest time for progression or increase the amount of time for rest between each exercise for more recovery. Use the Talk Test or RPE to assess your relative intensity of the exercises. Have fun!
(Always consult your physician before starting an exercise regimen.)