Natural ways to improve heart rate and get your heart pumping

Aerobic exercises: Aerobic exercises safely increase your heart rate. Aerobic activities include hiking, water aerobics, cycling, swimming, running, kickboxing and dancing. Picking the right aerobic exercise should be based on your personal needs, abilities and what you enjoy doing. If you’re just starting off with exercise, it’s a good idea to begin with lower impact and gentler moves, like walking and swimming. Once your heart starts to become stronger you can move up to longer hours of dancing or cycling.

Resistance training: Resistance training involves the use of weights or any other mechanism which adds resistance. When muscles are met with resistance they require more oxygenated blood which in turn increases heart rate.

At first you can use your own body as resistance, like in a push-up or squat position, but over time you can add additional weight. It’s advised that you should complete eight to 12 repetitions of at least three sets.

Stretching: You may not think that stretching can get the heart pumping, but it definitely can and is necessary for good heart health. Stretching increases flexibility and improves blood flow, so you don’t have to work as hard. You can boost your stretching by partaking in different styles of yoga.

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