Get Pumped

The heart is an muscle, and just like the muscles in your arms and legs you don’t want to let it get weak. And just like the muscles in your arms and legs, one of the best ways to keep your heart strong is with cardiovascular exercise.

 

 

The meaning of moderate Exercise intensity levels are very subjective and depend partly on your current fitness level. These descriptions will give you a sense of the different levels. Moderate to vigorous exercise may be especially helpful for your heart, thanks to a phenomenon known as ischemic preconditioning.
Type of walking	Pace	How it feels	Intensity
Easy	Leisurely stroll	Light effort, breathing easily; you can sing	Light
Moderate	Purposeful, like you have some place to get to	Some effort, breathing more noticeable; you can talk in full sentences	Light to moderate
Brisk	In a bit of a hurry	Moderate effort, breathing harder; you can talk in full sentences but need to take more breaths	Moderate
Fast	Late for an appointment	Hard effort, slightly breathless; you can talk in phrases	Moderate to vigorous

 

Think you don’t have enough time to fit a cardiovascular workout into your busy day? Think again.

 

 

Think cardiovascular exercise is too advanced? Kick that excuse to the curb.

 

 

Even if you can’t commit to the AHA’s guidelines above YET, any amount of cardiovascular exercise is better than none. Start small and celebrate little victories.