How to Exercise For a Healthy Heart

Series Summary

Many people want to lose weight, yet despite claims of quick fat burning pills and powders, the best way to lose weight is still through proper diet and exercise. Exercise does more than maintain physical fitness. Working out improves bone density, builds muscle strength, and improves joint mobility. It can also reduce general health risks, boost the immune system, and help with depression and insomnia. Whether exercising to lose weight or improve muscle mass, working out is always a good idea to promote mind and body health. The right exercise program is unique to each individual. In this free video series on healthy exercise, a fitness director discusses choosing the right workout regime. Learn about making a workout schedule, hiring a personal trainer and find out how to make exercise a healthy habit. Practice different workout routines, like burning fat and gaining muscle, and discover how to tone the body down for an improved physique. The right exercise improves the health of both body and mind.

Video Transcript

"Hi, I'm Les Whitley. Let's talk about how to exercise, for having a healthy heart. In having a healthy heart, we're training the muscle, the pump, that pumps all the blood and nutrients throughout the entire body. That means you've got to stimulate your body, through regular exercise, regular active movement. To help that heart become stronger and more efficient, at pumping the oxygen, and pumping the blood, so that it has to work half as hard, to accomplish the same job. Now, I know myself, if I could work half as hard, to accomplish the same amount of work in a day, I'd be a much happier, much less stressed person. At the end of the day, if you can train your heart, by the way you train your body, and the way you move your body, to work half as hard, to accomplish the same job. Not only is the quality of your life going to improve, but the longevity will improve as well. By having a good overall healthy diet, that's fresh fruits and vegetables,whole grains, a variety of foods, that's lower in fat, lower in sugar. Eating less meals more frequently throughout the day, to stimulate your metabolism, to provide your body the fuel it needs, to operate most efficiently. Then, combining that with a regular exercise routine. Doing things you enjoy to do, but that increase your heart rate, so that your heart has to train itself to be more efficient, to accomplish the same job. The heart again, being one of the most important muscles, if not the most important muscle, in your body, needs to be trained, just like you train any other muscle in your body. The more you train that heart, the more effective it becomes at doing it's job. The better your life will be, and the longer your life expectancy will go, so take time, spend time creating that routine. Stick to it, be committed, and train smart."