Senior-Friendly Exercises for Cardiac Health

About Tori Thurmond

Tori Thurmond combines her creative writing background with her marketing experience in her role as the Content Specialist at Brookdale. When she's not writing, she's probably spending time with her two cats or knitting.

Staying active is an integral part of overall healthy living, especially as we age. Cardio, or cardiovascular activity, is especially good for us as we get older. Regular cardio activity can help improve heart health and overall wellbeing. If you or a loved one are dealing with a cardiac condition or are simply looking to improve your cardiac health, here are a few exercises to try out.

Walking

It can really be that easy! When thinking of exercises that are good for your heart, the first exercises that come to mind might be high-intensity exercises or classes that you need some type of membership for, but you can improve your heart health by incorporating more walking into your life. All you need are a good pair of shoes and maybe a friend to keep you company! Some research shows that walking can improve heart and brain health and can even help people live longer. The American Heart Association encourages those who want to use walking to improve their heart health to keep the FIT acronym in mind. FIT stands for:

Frequency and Time

How often do you need to walk to make a real difference in your heart health? Federal physical activity guidelines suggest that adults need at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a week, which could be broken down into 30-minute increments five days a week. But, if 30 minutes is too much exercise to accomplish in one session, go for three 10-minute walks a day or two 15-minute walks instead. Especially as you’re starting your walking journey, you don’t want to over-exert yourself.

Intensity

How fast should you be walking to get the most out of your walk? Research shows that walking 2-3 mph was associated with lowering certain health conditions by 14%, while walking at a speed of 3-4 mph reduced certain health risks by 24%. However, if you can’t walk 3 mph or faster, consider walking at a slight incline. Walking 2 mph at a 3.5% incline can be just as effective as walking faster.

Swimming

While swimming may not be quite as convenient to everyone as walking, if you have access to a pool, all you need is a bathing suit to get started! One of the great things about swimming is that its benefits don’t stop at improving heart health. Swimming works both the heart and the lungs as well as the arms, legs and other muscle groups in between. If you’re someone who deals with arthritis or muscle pain, swimming could be a great low-impact exercise option to try. Start slow and with short increments if you’re new to swimming, then build up from there. You can even bring a kickboard or other flotation device along as you get comfortable swimming laps.

If you don’t have a lap pool in your backyard, as many of us do not, see if there’s a local community center, YMCA or JCC nearby, and check to see if your local gym has any discounts for seniors that you can take advantage of.

Yoga

If you’re looking for a slower-paced, low-impact exercise option to support heart health, yoga may be a good fit for you. Yoga combines physical postures, controlled breathing and meditation to initiate a relaxation response. This response can slow the heart rate and lower blood pressure, as well as reduce inflammation and promote positive changes in blood vessel function that protect the heart. If you’ve never done yoga and want to ease yourself into it, give chair yoga a try. Namaste!

Lifting Weights

When you think of weight lifters, you might picture bodybuilders lifting extraordinarily heavy weights, but even lifting lighter weights can be beneficial to your health. Weight lifting can contribute to heart health by building lean muscle mass and help manage blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Lifting weights can also help increase bone density for those with osteoporosis or other bone density conditions.

How much weight a person should lift is different for everyone. One of the best ways to determine how much weight you should lift is by being able to complete around 10 repetitions of an exercise with good form. Start with a light weight and work your way up slowly if you’re not sure what your ideal weight should be. If you’re using resistance bands instead of free weights or a weight machine, start with light resistance and work your way up from there. Keelin Godsey, a physical therapist with Harvard-affiliated Spaulding Rehabilitation Network, says that the goal for weightlifting is “to stress your muscles enough to see and feel a difference, but not overdo it, where you risk injury.” Start slow, and you’ll likely notice a difference before you know it!

For more content on improving or maintaining heart health, make sure to check out “Five Things You Didn’t Know Could Be Good for Your Heart” and “6 Heart-Healthy Spices in Your Kitchen Cabinet.”

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