Strengthening the Heart and Lungs with Exercise

An inactive lifestyle is one of the top risk factors to developing heart disease. Those who smoke are at an even higher risk of heart problems due to their habit. Exercise is key to a strong heart and healthy lungs.

If you’ve made the decision to quit smoking then one of the most important things you can do is to start an exercise program to help strengthen your heart and cardiovascular system.

Regular exercise will also improve your blood circulation and lower your blood pressure.

There are certain types of exercises that are essential when it comes to strengthening the heart. These include:

• Stretching exercises
• Aerobic (or cardiovascular) exercises

Stretching Exercises:

The purpose of these exercises is the slow lengthening of the muscles. It readies the muscles for what is to come.

Stretching both the arms and the legs before starting a workout and to finish the workout is also a way to prevent muscle strain and any injuries from occurring. Stretching on a regular basis also improves flexibility and an individual’s range of motion.

Aerobic (or Cardio) Exercises:

Both aerobic and cardiovascular exercises provide steady exercise that puts to use the large muscle groups of the body. The heart is a muscle that needs exercise and these kinds of exercises serve to strengthen it. They also strengthen the lungs because they improve the manner in which oxygen is used by the body.

Aerobic exercise lowers your blood pressure and heart rate at rest. It’s also beneficial in terms of improving your breathing.

When most people think of aerobic and/or cardio exercises they groan because they think of an hour long non-stop aerobics class or sweating it out for 30 to 45 minutes on the stair climber or treadmill. Aerobic and cardio exercises do not have to last for long periods of time to be effective.

Sure, if you’re shooting to run a marathon then you need to be on a different exercise program altogether. But for the rest of us just getting, and staying fit, is our main goal and current studies suggest, when it comes to workout duration – less is best.

Aim for aerobic activities you can do for 20 minutes at a time or less. Dr Al Sears 12 Minute Fitness Program offers workout routines in the 12-20 minute range. The key is to engage in exercise as regular as you can. For example, three to four times a week would benefit your body greatly.

Some examples of aerobic activities that are good for you include walking, jumping rope, skating, rowing, riding a bicycle (a stationary one or one that you ride outdoors) and water aerobics.

The heart needs its share of physical activity to be as strong as it can possibly be. The good news in all of this is that the exercises you do to strengthen your heart will also strengthen your lungs and other muscles throughout your body. Exercise can also help to strengthen your bones, improve your strength and muscle tone, improve your balance and joint flexibility and allow you a more peaceful night’s sleep.

For former smokers these points need to be emphasized even more because the body needs to repair itself and start the healing process. Exercising regularly is one of the ways to help your body do just that!

Becca Scott
Staff Writer
Free At Last Hypnosis
http://www.freeatlasthypnosis.com
http://www.smoke-free-at-last.com