How Do Different Activities Help Your Heart and Lungs? Some types of activity will improve the condition of your heart and lungs if they are brisk, sustained and regular. Low-intensity activities do not condition the heart and lungs much. But they can have other long-term health benefits. We will describe three types of activities and how they affect your heart. Group A – These vigorous exercises are especially helpful when done regularly. To condition your heart and lungs, you need to do them for at least 30 minutes, 3 or 4 times a week, at more than 50 percent of your exercise capacity. Other health experts suggest a shorter period for higher-intensity activities. These exercises burn up more calories than less vigorous ones. They consist of: Aerobic Dancing, Bicycling, Cross-Country Skiing, Hiking (uphill), Ice Hockey, Jogging, Jumping Rope, Rowing, Running in Place, Stair-Climbing, Stationary Cycling, Swimming, and Walking Briskly. Group B – These activities are moderately vigorous but still excellent choices. When done briskly for 30 minutes or longer, three or four times a week, they can also condition your heart and lungs. They consist of: Downhill Skiing, Basketball, Field Hockey, Calisthenics, Handball, Racquetball, Soccer, Squash, Tennis (singles), Volleyball, and Walking Moderately. Group C – These activities are not vigorous or sustained. They still have benefits though. They can be enjoyable, improve coordination and muscle tone, relieve tension, and burn up calories. They consist of: Badminton, Baseball, Bowling, Croquet, Football, Gardening, Golf, Housework, Ping-Pong, Shuffleboard, Social Dancing, Softball, and Walking Leisurely. There is much more from “How to keep fit and feel better” that is provided by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood institute. If you are interested please let us know and we can get you a copy. We hope you enjoyed these little snippets as we want to encourage a healthier, longer and more enjoyable life for everyone we come in contact with.
Posted on: Fri, 12 Jul 2013 15:51:46 +0000
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