How Aerobics Classes Can Help Your Heart Health

Back in the 1980s, aerobics classes were all the rage. At that time, you’d find people of all ages participating in them. People even purchased home video aerobic courses they could follow along with. While much of the increase in the popularity of aerobics came down to people following fads, aerobics remains an excellent way to stay in shape to this day. One of the most significant benefits of aerobic exercise is its effects on cardiovascular health. Here’s precisely how aerobic exercise helps keep your heart healthy.

What Are Aerobics Classes?

The original translation of aerobic is “living only in the presence of oxygen.” That definition should go a long way in explaining what aerobic exercise is. In an aerobics class, you will perform exercises designed to increase your breathing and heart rate. That increases your oxygen intake and your blood circulation.

Aerobic exercises also engage large muscle groups all at once. They accomplish that goal through fast, high-intensity, repetitive motions. Besides taking aerobics classes, you can also get your fill of aerobic exercise in multiple ways. They include cycling, swimming, and jogging.

How Aerobics Classes Can Help Your Heart Health

Taking regular aerobics classes can significantly improve your heart health. For one thing, it increases the strength of your heart muscles. That makes your heart more efficient at moving blood through your body. As a result, your resting heart rate will decrease, reducing your heart’s workload.

Additionally, aerobics classes can be an effective way to lower your cholesterol. According to the American Heart Association, 30 minutes of aerobic activity daily increases HDL cholesterol and decreases LDL cholesterol levels. As high LDL levels can cause buildup within blood vessels, aerobics can be an effective check against heart disease and stroke.

Regular aerobic activity is also effective at helping maintain a healthy body weight. Obesity is a significant driver of cardiovascular disease. It’s also a key factor in the development of diabetes.

Other Ways To Improve Your Heart Health

Of course, aerobics classes aren’t the only way to improve your heart health. It is just a single tactic you should use among multiple others. For example, eating a healthy diet rich in whole grains, fruits, and vegetables will also help. So will eating plenty of plant and seafood-based proteins.

You should also know that a healthy sleep schedule will improve your heart health. According to the Centers for Disease Control, adults who get less than seven hours of sleep per night have a significantly increased risk of elevated blood pressure and cardiovascular problems. When you sleep, your heart and blood vessels undergo cellular repair. Depriving your body of that critical restoration time can be extremely dangerous in the long term.

Persistently elevated stress levels can also harm heart health. Therefore, relaxation techniques like meditation, deep breathing, and yoga are especially beneficial.

Aerobics Are the Key to a Healthy Heart

The bottom line is that attending regular aerobics classes is the most effective way to keep your heart healthy. As a component of a more comprehensive diet and fitness regime, it can drastically cut your odds of cardiovascular problems. That means leading a longer, healthier life, making aerobics more than the fad it has a reputation for being.