JULY 3, 2009 -- This past week we lost music legend Michael Jackson and TV pitchman Billy Mays to likely complications with their hearts. These highly publicized, unfortunate deaths ought to create an awareness of how prevalent heart disease is in the U.S. Those tickers in our chests are the life force that keep us in this world. When they are blocked, stressed or ignored, heart disease has the ability to wipe us out.
This most-important organ of ours is capable of harboring love, anger, bitterness, happiness, resentment, joy, pain, bliss and just about any other feeling. It’s strong yet delicate; intricate yet simple.
Your heart is your lifeline.
To keep it functioning, you have to treat it well. It’s a muscle and must be worked out like any other muscle in your body. Here are three of my favorite cardiovascular workouts you can do in the gym—plus a hot tip for home workouts—to help keep your heart in tip-top shape:
Sit & Spin
Hopping on a bike in a cycling class is one of the quickest ways to get your heart pumping, and have a great time in the process. You won’t be popping wheelies, but you will be monitoring your heart rate and cadence along the way. My favorite cycling class is interval training. It alternates between high and low intervals of intense work, followed by short rests. It’s one of the most effective ways to increase your cycling speed and endurance. Plus, you burn a ton of calories in the process and develop endurance and strength in the lower body.
Indoor Hikes
Want to mimic the great outdoors? Hop on a treadmill and turn the incline up. I’m amazed how many people don’t realize how steep treadmills rise. Keep a comfortable walking speed and increase your incline every five minutes by five elevations. You’ll be amazed how the pitter patter of your heart gradually increases with the rise of the treadmill. If your shins start burning, then back off on your speed. Your goal here is to climb a hill with deep, long strides that burn your bottom side.
Row, Row, Row Your Self
It’s interesting to see some people tip-toe around the rowing machines and not give them a second thought. But rowing is one of the best cardio workouts around. It can be tricky to establish a rhythm, but once you’ve got it down, it’s downright cool. By creating your own rhythmic style and rowing to your own groove you’ll get a great cardio workout that will work your whole body.
“Honey, Wanna Work Out?”
According to an article I read on livescience.com, if you can't make it to the gym, fooling around at home is heart-healthy. A study of 2,500 men aged 49 to 54 found that having an orgasm at least three times a week cut in half the likelihood of death from coronary heart disease. Sex can give you a great workout. By some estimates, a vigorous sex session can double a person's heart rate and burn up about 200 calories, or the equivalent of a brisk 15-minute run. Think of it as preventive maintenance.
(Connie Cook is a freelance writer and fitness director at FIT Athletic Club. When she's not working out she’s stomping grapes in her bath tub or laying the groundwork for an insanity defense.)
