6 Exercises to Improve Heart Health

Often described as the hardest working muscle in the body, your heart is essential to your health. It pumps blood that delivers oxygen and nutrients to your entire body. In fact, your heart beats around 100,000 times and pumps about 2,000 gallons of blood every single day.

And just like other muscles, your heart needs exercise for optimal health. Regular physical activity can boost your heart health and reduce your risk of heart disease. Learn more about the best exercises for heart health, including six exercises you can try. 

Why is it important to have a healthy heart?

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for adults in the U.S. And given how critical your heart is in maintaining your health, it’s important to keep it strong. 

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It may not always be easy to do this, as there are several risk factors for heart disease and related problems. Some of those factors, like age and genetics, are beyond your control. Luckily, there are several factors that you can manage to improve your heart health. Eating a balanced and nutritious diet, avoiding cigarettes, and — you guessed it — adding exercise to your routine can help strengthen your heart. 

How does exercise affect heart health? 

Regular exercise strengthens your heart. It can lower your risk of heart disease, cardiac events like heart attacks, and cardiovascular-related death. In fact, research shows that moderate physical activity may even reverse cardiovascular damage from an inactive lifestyle. 

A fitness routine can help your heart in other ways, too. Exercise can: 

• Lower your blood pressure 

• Increase your levels of good cholesterol 

• Help you maintain a weight that promotes overall health

• Improve blood flow and circulation

• Reduce inflammation

• Improve your body’s sensitivity to insulin

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• Heart rate and exercise: You can use your heart rate to guide the intensity of your workouts. Learn how to calculate your target heart rate during physical activity. 

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• Heart-health diet: Looking to improve your diet for heart health? Check out these heart-healthy foods.

What’s the best type of exercise for heart health?

It’s tempting to pick one type of exercise you enjoy and stick to it. But you should incorporate different kinds of physical activity for overall health and fitness. These three types of exercise are essential for a healthy heart.

Aerobic or cardiovascular activities

Aerobic exercise, or cardio, is one of the beneficial exercises for heart health. Because your heart starts pumping faster, it actually strengthens your heart. Your heart is then able to pump blood more efficiently throughout your body. It increases circulation, and blood is able to carry oxygen to your lungs, muscles, and organs (including your heart itself). 

Here are some examples of moderate- and vigorous-intensity cardiovascular exercises:

• Fast walking

• Running

• Jumping rope

• Cycling

• High-intensity interval training (HIIT)

• Hiking uphill

• Rowing

• Vigorous yard work, such as mowing with a push mower, digging

Strength training

Strength or resistance training uses your body weight or tools like dumbbells to build muscle strength and endurance. This type of exercise is important in keeping your heart healthy. Strength training helps burn fat and increase muscle mass, which helps manage body weight. Being overweight increases your risk of heart disease. Combining strength training with aerobic exercise also helps improve your cholesterol. And it’s been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, and death from any cause.  

Some examples of strength training include:

• Weight machines at the gym

• Free weights (dumbbells, barbells, hand weights, kettlebells)

• Ankle or wrist weights

• Weighted vests

• Body weight exercises (squats, lunges, push-ups, pull-ups)

• Resistance bands

• Yoga 

• Pilates 

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Flexibility

Flexibility exercises help joint mobility, which is critical for aerobics and strength training. A 2020 study found that a regular stretching routine also directly improves heart health. Stretching helps improve resting heart rate, blood pressure, and reduces arterial stiffness. 

Here are some examples of stretching exercises:

• Passive or static stretches (holding a stretch for a period of time; best performed as a cool-down after activity)

• Dynamic stretches (like arm circles or leg swings)

• Yoga

• Tai chi

6 exercises to improve heart health

Any exercise you do — especially if it includes cardiovascular exercises, strength training, or stretching — can make your heart healthier. So if you don’t see your favorite workout on the list, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it. What’s important is that you pick a variety of exercises that you’ll actually do to get your heart pumping.

With that in mind, here are six science-backed exercises to boost your heart health.

1. Brisk walking

Walking is at the top of many heart-healthy activity lists because it’s a great way to be more active. One study found that brisk walking just 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week, reduces your risk of coronary heart disease by 19%. Taking roughly 100 steps per minute — or walking 2.7 miles per hour — is consistent with brisk walking. 

If you’re new to fitness, you can start slowly. Then, work your way up to brisk walking at moderate to vigorous intensity. If you want to increase the intensity, try walking faster, using a weighted vest, or walking up and down hills or inclines on a treadmill.

2. Running

Running can lower your risk of heart disease and may help you live longer. Because you work at a higher intensity, running burns more calories in a shorter amount of time than walking. That also means it works your heart at a higher level.

3. Cycling

Whether you’re doing it outside or inside on a stationary bike, cycling is a great, low-impact way to improve your cardiovascular health. In fact, research suggests that regular cycling can reduce the incidence of cardiovascular diseases and death.

4. Strength training

Strength training exercises like lifting weights or doing push-ups get your heart pumping. They also increase your lean muscle mass, which means you burn more calories at rest. That, in turn, can help you maintain a weight that’s good for your overall health. And it should come as no surprise that all of this is good for your heart. One study showed that muscle-strengthening workouts reduce the risk of a heart attack or stroke by up to 70%. 

5. Yoga

You don’t always have to do high-intensity exercise to get heart-health benefits. Experts report that yoga promotes strength and flexibility and improves cholesterol and blood glucose levels. The mind and body practice has also been linked to lower blood pressure. 

6. High-intensity interval training (HIIT)

HIIT alternates between short bursts of high-intensity exercise and longer periods of lower-intensity activity. For example, you might switch between running for 1 minute and walking for 3 minutes. Interval training strengthens your heart and lungs. According to research, it may even increase the fitness level of people with chronic medical conditions more than continuous moderate-intensity training.  

How much exercise do you need to improve heart health?

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), adults should get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise every week. That comes out to 30 minutes of activity a day, 5 days a week. The AHA also recommends adding moderate- to high-intensity strength training with weights or resistance 2 days a week. 

If 5 days a week seems like a lot, you can also do 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity every week. Or you can try a combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity exercise. And if you double the recommendation for moderate-intensity exercise to 300 minutes per week, the benefits for your heart are even greater. 

But don’t let exercise recommendations intimidate you. You have to start somewhere, and every little bit of exercise helps. In fact, one study found that if adults increased their daily physical activity by 10 minutes a day, it could prevent 110,000 deaths per year. 

So ease into it if you’re new to exercise. The goal is to sit less and move your body more often. Try taking movement breaks during the day, walking after meals, or scheduling workouts to get moving. 

If you’re not sure how to measure your exercise intensity, here are some helpful indicators. 

Moderate intensity:  

• Your heart beats faster than when at rest. 

• You breathe harder, but you’re still able to talk.

• You may start to sweat after a while. 

Vigorous intensity:  

• Your heart beats much faster than when at rest. 

• You breathe harder. You can talk, but you’ll have to pause to take a breath.

• You may start to sweat shortly after starting the activity. 

You can also use your target heart rate for a more precise way to know your exercise intensity. The AHA has a target heart rates chart for guidance. You can also talk to a certified trainer or health professional to help you set a target heart rate during physical activity.

Is cardiovascular exercise OK for someone living with heart disease?

Yes. Cardiovascular activity is recommended for people who have heart disease. But talk to a healthcare professional before starting any exercise program. This is especially important after a heart attack or heart surgery or if you’ve been experiencing chest pain. Your healthcare professional may recommend cardiac rehab to help you ease into approved physical activities, progressing as your cardiovascular health improves.

Even if you don’t have cardiovascular disease, you should talk to your healthcare professional before starting an exercise routine. And be sure to watch for warning signs that you’re overdoing it during exercise. If you have any of these symptoms, stop exercising, and call your healthcare professional right away:

• Squeezing, burning, pressure, or heaviness near your breastbone 

• Chest pain that radiates to your left arm

• Dizziness or confusion

• Nausea or vomiting

• Extreme shortness of breath

• Fast or uneven heartbeat

Why trust our experts?

Written by:

Kim Grundy, PT

Kim Grundy, PT, is a licensed physical therapist and an experienced writer and editor. She worked at an outpatient orthopedic facility, where she treated patients with chronic conditions and post-surgical athletes working towards recovery.

Edited by:

Lauren Savage, MA

Lauren Savage, MA, is a health editor at GoodRx, where she focuses on movement, exercise, and healthy aging. She aims to provide readers with the information they need to live healthier, more active lifestyles.

Reviewed by:

Mandy Armitage, MD

Mandy Armitage, MD, has combined her interests in clinical medicine with her passion for education and content development for many years. She served as medical director for the health technology companies HealthLoop (now Get Well) and Doximity.

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