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Heart health is an integral part of any sports person’s fitness regime. And whether you want to get yourself in the best shape ever to replicate a top athlete’s performance, or just want to extend your life expectancy by a significant amount, it’s something you should be doing, too. With this in mind, here are some of the best exercises and activities that will give your heart a boost in the health department, and lead to a solid foundation for being the fittest you can be. Let’s take a closer look.

Walking

Believe it or not, just being active during your day rather than sitting behind a desk can lead to exceptional heart health improvements. Humans weren’t designed to sit in a chair all day, which is why those who do active jobs such as cleaning, gardening, or are on their feet all day tend to be healthier than those who don’t. In fact, having an active lifestyle is even better for you than doing 30-60 minutes of heavy exercise and then work at a desk for the rest of the day.

Yoga

A lot of top athletes take yoga classes, and there are a lot of reasons why. Not only does it improve flexibility and core strength, but yoga also lowers your blood pressure. This means your blood vessels enjoy more elasticity, resulting in your arteries becoming less clogged.

Weight training

Want to do some serious good for your heart? Get yourself down to the gym and learn to lift weights. If you’re asking yourself “is there a gym near me where I won’t look like an amateur?” – It’s an honest question. The weights section of gyms has something of a bad reputation, but ultimately there is a place for everyone, and it’s merely a case of checking out your local clubs and finding somewhere you will fit in. It’s definitely worth getting over it – when you build muscle, the burden on your heart is lifted, and the increase of heart rate during reps and the recovery between them is a great way to get fit.

Total body activities

If you struggle a lot with injuries, your best bet is to try out less impact sports that work the entire body. Ultimately, the more muscles groups you work out at once, the harder your heart works – and the fitter it gets. Try swimming, rowing, brisk hiking with poles, and sports like cross-country skiing.

Interval training

Once you are in reasonable shape, you can really take things to the next level by getting some interval training in. It’s hands-down the best activity going for your heart, as the short bursts of high-intensity exercise and active recovery will improve your vascular function, burn off a ton of calories, and even makes your body better at flushing heart-harming fat and sugar from your blood.

As you can see, good heart health is more than achievable – as long as you know the right activities. And whether you have dreams of becoming a pro sports star, or just want to extend your life by several years, it’s the single best thing you can do to increase your prospects of success. Good luck!