Cardiovascular physical activities help your body to grow more efficient with breathing and its circulation of blood. Not only does this help you to become better at exercising itself, but it also prevents heart disease, contributes to weight loss and maintenance, and can boost your mood. This is why you should participate in exercises that increase your cardiovascular health, even as you grow older. To get you started, here are some examples of what you can do.
Power Walking
Walking is accessible for most people and does not require a specific space or equipment. As a result, it is probably the easiest option to get into on this list. You just need to step outside. To get your heart rate up, you should power walk, which just means that you are moving at a consistently brisk pace. As you exercise, enjoy the outdoor air and the sights around you, or feel free to listen to music or watch a television program while on an indoor treadmill. This small change in your routine will keep you in good shape as long as you keep it up regularly and don’t neglect social distancing measures.
Biking
For a more fast-paced exercise that increases your cardiovascular health, you can ride a bicycle. You can travel over longer distances more easily while also proceeding at a greater speed than you would attain with walking. Since you are pedaling, your cardiovascular system must work to carry oxygen and other nutrients to your legs, and you’ll become stronger over time. If you struggle with biking because you haven’t exercised in a while or there are many hills that you must climb near your home, you can stay fit with an electric bike as well. This type of bicycle can assist your pedaling with an electric motor. Just make sure you don’t rely on it too much when you can move on your power.
Swimming
Many seniors enjoy swimming because the water cushions the body and entirely eliminates any impacts that they may feel in their joints in other activities. While biking and walking may be painful for you because of injuries you sustained in the past or your current weight, swimming will remain a viable exercise for you. Once in the water, you can swim freely on your own or join aerobic classes designed to improve your cardiovascular health. Whatever way you go about it, you may find that exerting yourself no longer feels like a chore because you have such a pleasant time while in the water. Although there are more restrictions due to COVID-19 right now, you can still go to a pool at your local recreation center or head to the lake. So long as you social distance, it should be safe since the CDC has stated that the virus does not spread by water. It may be even wiser to wait until the situation is more stable, however, since seniors are highly vulnerable to the disease.
