How to walk to improve cardiovascular health?

Walking has long been a familiar form of exercise thanks to its simplicity, ease of implementation and almost no cost.

Not only suitable for many ages, walking is also considered an exercise that puts little pressure on the body but brings many benefits if maintained properly, according to the health website Verywell Health .

However, not all types of walking are created equal when it comes to cardiovascular health. Sometimes, walking is not intense enough to keep your heart healthy.

Ms. Cyra-Lea Drummond, a nutritionist in the US, has shown how walking can improve cardiovascular health and increase endurance.

Walking is considered an exercise that puts little pressure on the body but brings many benefits if maintained properly.

Photo: AI

How to walk to improve heart health

Most adults need to walk at a moderate pace of more than 3 mph to help reduce their risk of heart disease.

In reality, it is difficult to accurately measure speed without using a treadmill. Therefore, there are several other ways for exercisers to determine their exercise intensity.

One popular way is to monitor your heart rate with a heart rate monitor. The formula used is to subtract your age from 220 to estimate your maximum heart rate.

When exercising at a moderate level, you should maintain your heart rate between 50-70% of your maximum heart rate. In addition, you can use a verbal test. When exercising at a moderate intensity, you can still talk but not sing.

As the intensity increases, speaking becomes difficult, only a few short words can be uttered before having to take a breath.

How to increase exercise intensity

Walking intensity is not the same for everyone, because it also depends on physical condition and regular exercise level.

For someone who walks every day, familiar routes can become easier than before. Adding a challenge is necessary to increase effectiveness.

There are simple ways to increase the difficulty. On a treadmill, you can adjust the incline for one to two minutes before returning to normal. Outdoors, you can vary your route, choosing sections with inclines.

Another method is to combine short bursts of brisk walking with a normal pace. For example, brisk walking for a few minutes or blocks, then return to a normal pace.

Speed ​​and distance aren’t the only factors that determine effectiveness. Varying the terrain can also help increase intensity, such as choosing hiking trails or rough terrain instead of just flat ground. These small adjustments make a big difference in your cardiovascular workout.

How much walking per week is enough?

According to health recommendations, adults need at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise each week.

Spending 30 minutes a day walking briskly is appropriate, but if you can't arrange continuous time, you can divide it into shorter sessions.

For example, walking for 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes in the evening has similar benefits.

Besides walking sessions, small changes in daily routine also contribute to improving health.

Taking the stairs instead of the elevator, parking further away to walk a few extra minutes, or taking light exercise breaks are all options that can help increase your total daily activity.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/di-bo-the-nao-giup-tang-cuong-suc-khoe-tim-mach-185250901144117601.htm