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Indoor Sports
It’s difficult to get motivated to exercise when temperatures outside reach freezing. So, take an outdoor activity inside. Swimming, which increases your circulation and helps build lean, heart-healthy muscles, is a great indoor activity for the winter. Join an indoor basketball or soccer team, walk or jog indoors, or work out on a recumbent bike or elliptical trainer. Finding an indoor activity you enjoy will make exercise fun and beneficial.
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Everyday Chores
Vacuuming, scrubbing the bathtub, washing the dishes: These chores are often a boring, everyday part of life. Make them fun, and heart-healthy, by upping their aerobic value. Time yourself when you vacuum, with a goal to be quick but thorough. Speed scrub your tub and don’t be afraid to put a little (or a lot) of elbow grease behind your cleaning. Turn dish-washing time into dance time by grooving to some tunes while you suds those pots and pans. You can turn mundane chores into something fun and active by raising your intensity and keeping a positive attitude.
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Office Moves
Sitting all day at the office makes it difficult to be active, but there are small exercises you can do. Work out during lunch or use your afternoon break to walk outside. Take the stairs whenever you can. And don’t fall into the habit of email messaging or online chatting. Walk to your coworkers’ desks when you need to talk to them. You’ll be more active and strengthen your work relationships in the process, two ways to be truly heart-healthy.
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Out and About
Make daily activities heart-healthy by infusing some extra activity. When you go to the mall or movie theater, park far away from the entrance and walk the additional distance. Need to pick up a carton of milk from the corner store? Bike or walk there instead of driving. These little changes can mean a lot.
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Maintain the Right Fitness Level
Whatever activity you choose, make sure you are exercising at a level that is healthy for your heart. You don’t want to overexert yourself or work under your potential. Experts say that you should aerobically exercise (to fully benefit your lungs, circulation, and heart) at 50 to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate for at least 30 minutes most days of the week. But don’t feel overwhelmed; you can split up your 30 minutes into shorter sessions spread throughout the day. Your goal should be incorporating exercise into your daily routine, and, in turn, strengthening your heart’s health.
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