After a heart attack, angioplasty or even heart surgery, many people think that exercise should be avoided because too much strain on the heart could be bad. In reality, just the opposite is true. Regular exercise after a heart procedure helps strengthen the heart muscle and can reduce your risk for heart disease. In fact, regular exercise for people who have had heart treatments can control other issues like high blood pressure, high cholesterol and obesity.
Regular exercise is part of a lifestyle that makes your heart healthy and people with healthy hearts live longer than those who don’t. Now, to maintain a healthy heart, you don’t need to join a Crossfit class, an exercise boot camp or sign up for hot yoga. You can get the exercise you need for a healthy heart by participating in active gaming.
Active gaming, or interactive fitness, is a form of physical activity which combines video games and exercise. Exergaming utilizes technology that is then integrated into equipment that tracks body movement, fitness progress and reaction times. This is something that people who have had heart treatments can participate in and benefit from the results.
After undergoing a heart treatment, you need to talk with your doctor about the limits of your exercise routine. When your doctor says it’s safe to exercise, follow these tips to do it safely.
Slow Start
If you are recovering from a heart treatment, you need to start slow. In time, your health will improve and you can increase your level of activity. But start by walking at a pace you are comfortable with and increase the distance and time from that point.
Exercise Throughout the Day
Increasing your activity levels or much more than just working out on a regular basis. You will want to do what you can to increase your overall activity, even when you are not working out. There are plenty of opportunities for you to get more exercise. For example, park farther away from the building you work, take stairs instead of riding elevators and instead of taking a power nap at lunch, get up and walk around for 10 to 15 minutes.
Find an Activity You Will Enjoy
We don’t blame you if you don’t have fun doing certain exercise routines. Not everybody enjoys Crossfit, yoga and running on a treadmill. That’s fine as long as you find something you enjoy, like active gaming for example. If you engage in an exercise program you enjoy, it is likely you will continue to do it on a regular basis.
Find Friends
Finding friends who will exercise with you is a winning situation. When you exercise with a friend or family member, you have someone with you who can help you stick with a routine and encourage you to do your best. Active gaming offers several interactive fitness routines that can be done in groups.
Track Your Activity
Write down the days you workout, what you did and for how long. This helps keep track of your progress and motivates you to set goals.