Heart Health Beyond Cardio

With Valentines Day it is a good month to focus on our heart health.  Many people picture running, cycling, or intense cardio workouts when they think about looking after their heart. In reality, heart health is often built through simpler, more sustainable habits that fit into everyday life.

Walking

Walking is one of the most underrated ways to support the heart. It improves circulation, helps regulate blood pressure, and supports overall cardiovascular health. It does not need to be fast or long to be effective, the importance is it is done regularly. Walking most days, gently challenges the heart while being kind to the joints. It is accessible, repeatable, costs nothing and far easier to integrate into our day to day lives than more intense forms of exercise. 

Strength training

Strength training also plays an important role in heart health, even though it is often overlooked. When we lift weights,  including body weight exercises,  the heart works harder to deliver oxygen to the muscles. This raises the heart rate and challenges it in a different way to traditional cardio. Over time, strength training improves how efficiently the heart works and supports healthy circulation.

Building Muscle

Building and maintaining muscle has wider benefits too. Muscle helps the body manage blood sugar more effectively and supports overall metabolism, both of which reduce strain on the cardiovascular system. Staying strong also makes everyday movement easier. Walking feels more comfortable, posture improves, and confidence grows, which helps people stay active as they age.

The key to heart health is not intensity, but consistency. Short walks taken regularly and a couple of strength sessions each week can have a powerful impact. These habits support the heart not just for February, but for life, enabling you to be fit to love life, moving more, moving well, and doing it consistently.