​​5 exercises to improve your heart health

Regular exercise can help improve your heart health and reduce the risk of heart disease. Read on for tips on getting started, and how to include heart-healthy exercises into your life.

Written by Medibank
January 2024

 

​​​​Let’s face it, unless you’re a fitness fanatic, it can be difficult to stay motivated to exercise regularly. While most people accept that regular exercise is good for their general wellbeing, many ​don’t know about​​​ the ​benefits of exercise on heart health​​.​​​​​

I​​​n a recent Heart Foundation survey, ​​​​more than one third of respondents weren’t aware that exercise lowered the risk of heart disease.​​​​1​​
 

 

Regular exercise​ can​ reduce ​​​​risk of heart disease by ​​​​helping to maintain​​ blood pressure and cholesterol.​ ​​​​​​​​​

Along with other healthy lifestyle habits – ​like​ ​​​​not​ smoking, drinking less alcohol and eating a healthy diet​ – regular exercise plays a key role in boosting your heart health​.

​​​​The Heart Foundation recommends that we all aim to do at least 20 minutes of vigorous physical activity each day, combined with muscle-strengthening activities twice a week.

5 exercises for heart health

​​​So, with all the benefits of regular exercises on your heart health, what are some ways to stay active and motivated? Here are 5 ways to include heart-healthy exercises into your ​lif​​​​e​​​​, but​​​ ​​​first speak to your doctor before beginning any new exercise regime​​​​.​​​

1. Start a regular yoga practice

Yoga sequences involve holding muscle tension in prolonged ways, which can improve your heart health as well as your circulation. Doing yoga on a regular basis has also been shown to improve your blood pressure, a key aspect of heart health.

2. Play a game of tennis

If your tennis match is strenuous enough that you’re out of breath and sweating, it’s considered vigorous activity, ​​which is great for your heart health. Another benefit of tennis is its ​​social nature, which can help you stay motivated​​​.​​​

3. Join a walking group

​​Brisk walking can be an effective part of an exercise plan to help your heart health – walking for half an hour per day can lower your risk of heart disease​​​​​​​.​1​ ​Check out the Heart Foundation’s personal walking plans, or find a walking group to walk in company. 

​​4. Try ​​​​swimming​​​​​​​​​​​

​​For a head-to-toe workout that’s ​​​​​great for your cardiovascular fitness​​​​​​​, give swimming a go. A few laps at your local pool, or ​​​​simple aerobics moves in the shallow end, can bring benefits to your heart health. ​​​​

​5. Take up tai chi

​Tai chi is an ancient Chinese practice involving slow, controlled movements and postures. It can help relieve stress, and ​​if you do it regularly it can improve your heart fitness. ​​It includes controlled breathing, which can help lower your blood pressure and heart rate.

Live Better rewards

Live Better rewards is Medibank’s health and wellbeing program inspiring, supporting and rewarding you to eat, move, and feel better, all while enjoying the things you do every day.

Medibank members with eligible hospital or extras cover could earn up to $400 worth of rewards every year from our range of partners or even get discounts on premium payments, by redeeming the points earned for tracking healthy actions. Plus, if you shop with our partners, you could earn even more points!~

Heart-healthy exercise ideas for​ ​​​​those ​​with limited movement​ ​

If you have limited mobility, you should aim for 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity – where you’re a bit breathless but can still talk comfortably – each day. This could include:​​​

  • swimming or aqua aerobics
  • golfing (without the cart)
  • cycling
  • lifting and carrying things like groceries or small children
  • household chores like mopping, vacuuming and yard work.

​​​To give your body a chance to adjust, start a new exercise routine slowly, and then increase your activity levels gradually.

Benefits of breathing exercises for a healthy heart

It’s possible that some stress responses contribute to high blood pressure. As well as making you calmer, breathing exercises can help lower your blood pressure. 

​Sit comfortably in a quiet, relaxed environment. Rest one hand on your chest and the other on your ​​​stomach and​ try to notice how those areas move in and out while you breathe. Breathe gently through your ​​​nose and​ allow tension to release with each exhale.

Tips for exercising at home

  • ​​​Take an online exercise class. Many gyms and exercise studios offer online classes; you can also find online video lessons for just about every type of fitness and exercise just by doing a basic search.
  • ​​​Look into exercise apps. There’s a wide range of apps you can download for free that will give you tips and motivation for exercising at home.
  • Build your own strength-training and cardio routine. ​​Try push-ups and squats to help strengthen your muscles​​​​.

Is it safe to exercise after a heart attack?

​You can usually resume physical activity a few weeks after a heart attack, but it’s important to ​​check with your doctor. 

Start small, with activities like cooking or walking around the house. Then, with your doctor’s guidance, build up your movement levels gradually.

​A great way to start exercising after a heart attack is to attend a cardiac rehabilitation program, where you’ll be given safe, individualised exercises to improve your heart health.

Tips on how to start exercising

​If you’re 45 or older, it’s a good idea to check in with your doctor before you begin an exercise program. 

​​One way to gradually acclimatise your body to exercise is to start with small changes to your daily habits. For example, you could start by parking your car or getting off public transport a bit further away from your destination and walking the rest of the way.

​Then, be specific about your plans and write them down to help yourself stick to them. Even if it’s just 10 minutes of exercise, schedule it like you would an appointment.

Consider activities you enjoy or have always wanted to try. ​Also, consider whether making plans with other people might help you sustain your motivation.​​​

If you’re 45 or older, or if you’re Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and 30 or older, the first step to making your personal heart health plan is getting a ​​Heart Health Check.​​

Senior couple

Heart Health at Home

Heart Health at Home is a phone-based cardiac rehabilitation program to help support you from the comfort of your own home, where clinically appropriate.  

Read more about heart healthy living


Looking for something else?

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Things you need to know

Heart Foundation, Benefits of walking, retrieved 8 August 2023.

~ Medibank Live Better Challenges & Goals Earning Policy: The participant of a Medibank Live Better Challenge or Goal may not receive Live Better points or may have their already credited Live Better points reversed in accordance with the Medibank Live Better terms and conditions. To earn Live Better points, the participant needs to properly complete 100% of the eligible Challenge according to the instructions. The number of Live Better points available for Medibank Live Better Challenges and Goals is subject to change without prior notice. The maximum number of Live Better points that each Medibank Live Better member can earn from successfully completing health and wellbeing Challenges, Goals or any Onboarding action in a calendar year is 40,000 Live Better points. To the extent of any inconsistency between this Policy and the Medibank Live Better terms and conditions, the terms and conditions will take precedence.

While we hope you find this information helpful, please note that it is general in nature. It is not health advice, and is not tailored to meet your individual health needs. You should always consult a trusted health professional before making decisions about your health care. While we have prepared the information carefully, we can’t guarantee that it is accurate, complete or up-to-date. And while we may mention goods or services provided by others, we aren’t specifically endorsing them and can’t accept responsibility for them. For these reasons we are unable to accept responsibility for any loss that may be sustained from acting on this information (subject to applicable consumer guarantees).