Best Exercise for Heart Health: Types, How Much, and 9 Moves from Physical Therapists

Your heart is the ultimate multitasker, pumping away 24/7 without a break. But it often doesn’t get the love and attention it deserves. February is American heart month, a national campaign promoting heart health and reducing heart disease risks. 

And exercise is a key way to maintain and improve your heart health. Regular physical activity can significantly lower blood pressure, reduce heart disease risk, and improve overall cardiovascular function. These aren’t just medical stats; they’re your ticket to a longer, more active life, fueled by your heart pumping strong and blood flowing smoothly.

Read on to learn how movement helps boost heart health. Explore ways to use exercises and tips from our Hinge Health physical therapists to keep your heart healthy — not just during heart month but all year long.

Exercise for Heart Health

Your heart is an amazing muscle. It pumps oxygen-rich blood and nutrients all over your body through a network of thousands of blood vessels. It beats non-stop, around 100,000 times a day. 

“To make your heart muscle stronger, you need to make it work a little harder,” says Dorian Logan, PT, DPT, a physical therapist at Hinge Health. “Exercise increases your heart rate — the number of beats per minute — and helps strengthen the heart muscle, making it more efficient at pumping blood,” she explains. More heart health exercise benefits include:

• Lowers blood pressure, a major risk factor for heart disease.

• Reduces risk of heart disease by improving blood flow and reducing inflammation. It can also boost high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or “good” cholesterol, and reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or “bad” cholesterol, reducing the buildup of plaques in your arteries.

• Enhances mood and reduces stress by releasing brain chemicals called endorphins, which is beneficial for heart health. 

• Improves overall well-being by reducing pain, improving sleep, increasing energy, and fostering a positive outlook, all of which support a healthy heart.

• Helps maintain a healthy weight, which reduces the strain on your heart and lowers your risk of conditions like hypertension and diabetes.

Exercise isn’t just a shield against heart issues — it’s actually a powerful healing tool that can help repair damage and strengthen your cardiovascular system from the inside out. 

Best Types of Exercise for Heart Health

Any type of exercise that raises your heart rate can be beneficial for heart health. (Always consult with your healthcare provider before starting a new exercise program.)

Aerobic exercise 

Aerobic, or cardio, exercise boosts heart health because it increases your heart rate and improves your cardiovascular endurance. Some great heart health aerobic exercise options:

• Brisk walking. This means walking at a faster pace than your normal walking speed, typically around three to four miles per hour. It should feel like you are walking with purpose and you might be breathing a bit harder than usual, but you should still be able to carry on a conversation. 

• Running. Running is a high-impact exercise that boosts cardiovascular fitness, burns calories, and strengthens your heart and muscles. Aim for a pace where you’re breathing harder but still able to speak a few words at a time. Adding short bursts of running into your walks is a great way to start.

• Cycling. Whether on a stationary bike or outdoors, cycling is a low-impact way to get your heart rate up.

• Swimming or pool walking. These are great low-impact exercises that are easy on your joints and excellent for cardiovascular health. 

• Dancing. Dancing can be a fun and engaging way to get your heart rate up and improve your overall fitness.

• Stair climbing. Use a set of stairs in your home or a public building to climb up and down at a steady pace. It improves cardiovascular fitness, burns calories, and enhances blood circulation.

Resistance Training 

Resistance training, also known as strength training, involves using weights, resistance bands, or your own body weight to challenge and strengthen your muscles. "Resistance training can also have heart benefits, especially with very little rest in between exercises," says Dr. Logan. This type of training also helps build muscle, which can improve your metabolism and reduce your risk of heart disease. 

How Much Exercise Is Best for Heart Health?

The American Heart Association recommends that adults aim for at least 150 minutes (2.5 hours) of moderate-intensity exercise each week (or at least 75 minutes if it’s vigorous). They also recommend at least two days a week of moderate- to high-intensity resistance (strength) training.

There are many different ways to meet these recommendations. One routine could include 30 minutes of aerobic exercise most days (walking, cycling, running, swimming, racquet sports, step aerobics, stair climbing, dancing, etc.) plus a 20-30 minute whole-body strength training session two to three times a week. 

Recent research shows that the benefits of exercise are cumulative, so you don’t have to exercise for one long, continuous session. Instead, you can sneak short bouts of movement into your day and see the same benefits. 

How to Gauge Your Effort for Heart Health

To gauge the effort and intensity of your exercise and ensure a healthy heart rate while exercising, consider:

Talk test. If you can talk but not sing during your exercise, you're likely in the moderate-intensity range. If you can only say a few words before needing to catch your breath, you're in the vigorous-intensity range.

Rate of perceived exertion (RPE). Use an exertion scale like the one below. A score of 1 or 2 might correspond with easy household chores or leisurely walking. A score of 5 or 6 is for activities that speed up your heart rate without making you out of breath. A score of 10 is for intense activities like sprinting that you can’t maintain for more than a few seconds. Aim for an RPE of 5-6 for moderate intensity exercise and 7-8 for vigorous intensity.

Target heart rate.  Subtract your age from 220 to find your maximum heart rate. Your target heart rate for moderate-intensity exercise is 50-70% of your maximum heart rate. For vigorous exercise, it's 70-85% of your maximum. To get your heart rate during activity, check your pulse by placing your index and middle fingers on your wrist, just below the base of your thumb. Count the number of beats in 15 seconds and multiply by four to get your heart rate per minute (or use a device like a fitness watch that tracks it for you). 

Warm-Up and Cool-Down for Heart Health

Warm-up and cool-down exercises are crucial for heart health. 

• Warming up before exercise slowly raises your heart rate, enhances blood flow, boosts muscle temperature, and improves flexibility. 

• Cooling down after exercise helps keep blood flowing throughout your body, preventing dizziness or a sudden drop in heart rate and blood pressure. Post-workout stretching can also help reduce muscle cramps and stiffness. 

“Think of your body like a car. It usually takes some time to ramp up from 0 to 60 miles per hour,” says Dr. Logan. Warming up helps to gradually increase your heart rate and helps your body transition into a sustained effort, she explains. “In the same way, you don’t want to just stop without gradually slowing your heart rate back down to its resting state.” Gradually transitioning with a cool-down helps prevent sudden stress on your heart, she explains.

The above exercises are recommended by Hinge Health physical therapists to help your heart transition into sustained effort before exercise and gradually return to your resting heart rate afterward.

The information contained in these videos is intended to be used for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice or treatment for any specific condition. Hinge Health is not your healthcare provider and is not responsible for any injury sustained or exacerbated by your use of or participation in these exercises. Please consult with your healthcare provider with any questions you may have about your medical condition or treatment.

What if Pain Keeps You From Moving?

If muscle and joint pain is limiting your movement, physical therapy (PT) can help. Physical therapists can assess you, rule out any serious causes of your pain, help you modify your activities, empower you with tools and tips to help you hurt less, and personalize your exercise program.

"If you’ve been sedentary and then start moving, you might find that discomfort keeps you from exercising at an intensity that brings heart health benefits,” says Dr. Logan. “Physical therapists can help you address your pain so you can gradually increase your activity and build toward more intense exercise," says Dr. Logan.

You can see a physical therapist in person or use a program like Hinge Health, where you may access a PT via telehealth/video visit.

PT Tip: It’s Never Too Late to Start

“It’s okay if you’re just getting started,” says Dr. Logan. “Fitness isn’t something you age out of and it's never too late to start improving your heart health.” Whether you're a seasoned athlete or a beginner, the key is consistency and enjoyment. “Choose activities you love, set realistic goals, and make a plan that fits your lifestyle.”

This heart month, use these helpful tips to add more heart-healthy exercise in your routine.

How Hinge Health Can Help You

If you have joint or muscle pain that makes it hard to move, you can get the relief you’ve been looking for with Hinge Health’s online exercise therapy program. 

The best part: You don’t have to leave your home because our program is digital. That means you can easily get the care you need through our app, when and where it works for you.  

Through our program, you’ll have access to therapeutic exercises and stretches for your condition. Additionally, you’ll have a personal care team to guide, support, and tailor our program to you. 

See if you qualify for Hinge Health and confirm free coverage through your employer or benefit plan here.

This article and its contents are provided for educational and informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice or professional services specific to you or your medical condition.

References

1. 10 great reasons to love aerobic exercise. (2018). Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/aerobic-exercise/art-20045541 

2. American Heart Association. (2024, January 19). American Heart Association recommendations for physical activity in adults and kids. American Heart Association. https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness/fitness-basics/aha-recs-for-physical-activity-in-adults

3. American Heart Association. (2014, September 1). Warm Up, Cool down. American Heart Association. https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness/fitness-basics/warm-up-cool-down 

4. Bellicha, A., van Baak, M. A., Battista, F., Beaulieu, K., Blundell, J. E., Busetto, L., … & Oppert, J. M. (2021). Effect of exercise training on weight loss, body composition changes, and weight maintenance in adults with overweight or obesity: An overview of 12 systematic reviews and 149 studies. Obesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity, 22 Suppl 4(Suppl 4), e13256. do:10.1111/obr.13256

5. Bilodeau, K. (2022, January 1). Exercise may heal the heart as well as prevent future problems. Harvard Health. https://www.health.harvard.edu/exercise-and-fitness/exercise-may-heal-the-heart-as-well-as-prevent-future-problems 

6. Exercising for Better Sleep. (2019). Johns Hopkins Medicine. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/exercising-for-better-sleep

7. Gordon, R., & Bloxham, S. (2016). A Systematic Review of the Effects of Exercise and Physical Activity on Non-Specific Chronic Low Back Pain. Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland), 4(2), 22. doi:10.3390/healthcare4020022

8. Laskowski, E. (2022, October 8). What’s a Normal Resting Heart rate? Mayo Clinic; Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/expert-answers/heart-rate/faq-20057979 

9. Lopes, S., Mesquita-Bastos, J., Alves, A. J., & Ribeiro, F. (2018). Exercise as a tool for hypertension and resistant hypertension management: current insights. Integrated blood pressure control, 11, 65–71. doi:10.2147/IBPC.S136028 

10. Mann, S., Beedie, C., & Jimenez, A. (2014). Differential effects of aerobic exercise, resistance training and combined exercise modalities on cholesterol and the lipid profile: review, synthesis and recommendations. Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 44(2), 211–221.doi:10.1007/s40279-013-0110-5 

11. Napoli, N. (2022, March 24). Exercise Holds Even More Heart Health Benefits for People with Stress-Related Conditions. American College of Cardiology. https://www.acc.org/About-ACC/Press-Releases/2022/03/23/18/18/Exercise-Holds-Even-More-Heart-Health-Benefits-for-People-with-Stress-Related-Conditions 

12. Nystoriak, M. A., & Bhatnagar, A. (2018). Cardiovascular Effects and Benefits of Exercise. Frontiers in cardiovascular medicine, 5, 135. doi:10.3389/fcvm.2018.00135 

13. Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans | odphp.health.gov. (2024). Health.gov. https://odphp.health.gov/our-work/nutrition-physical-activity/physical-activity-guidelines 

14. Pinckard, K., Baskin, K. K., & Stanford, K. I. (2019). Effects of Exercise to Improve Cardiovascular Health. Frontiers in cardiovascular medicine, 6, 69. doi:10.3389/fcvm.2019.00069