Many of us become less active in the winter months. It’s understandable when the weather is miserable (anyone else tired of the endless rain the UK has been experiencing?). If you often go for walks, it’s much less appealing in cold, wet conditions.
However, it’s important to maintain your activity even during the winter months to support your heart health and ensure that you’re fit and ready for the warmer conditions spring and summer brings.
If you have a heart condition, or are at risk of developing one, winter can make you more susceptible to becoming ill, because the colder weather can increase your blood pressure and restrict your circulation.
So, we’ve got five top tips for exercising during February so that you can stay healthy through the last of the winter.
Brisk walking indoors
You don’t have to go outside to go for a walk. You can still get your heart rate up and get some exercise in your home. Find a space that you can easily walk around in your home, whether it is lengths along a corridor or circuits of your living room.
Walk faster than your normal pace to help get your circulatory system pumping and to elevate your heart rate. You don’t have to do this for too long. Ten to 15 minutes is plenty as a starting point.
Gradually increase the amount of time you’re walking for over the course of a few weeks. If you do this every day, you’ll find your fitness levels improve significantly.
Yoga
Yoga is excellent for your health for many reasons. It helps build strength and improves your flexibility and mobility – all of which is important as we age. But from a heart health perspective the major benefit of yoga comes from lowering your stress levels.
Mindful movement, coupled with intentional breath work, both calms your nervous system and relieves stress. You don’t need to go to an in-person class, unless you want to, as there are plenty of yoga practices for all abilities available online.
Here at Concept Care, we have an in-house yoga instructor, Jackie Ngu, who provides in-person classes, so we can certainly help if you’re keen to try the practice for yourself.
Swimming
When you are older, swimming is an excellent full-body workout where your joints are fully supported. This makes it a low-impact activity that you can do if you find walking or jogging too painful.
Swimming can help elevate your heart rate if you are doing more vigorous strokes, such as front crawl, but even if you are doing lengths at a leisurely pace all of your muscles will be working.
One top tip is to check the temperature of your local pool – it’s important that it is between 26 and 33 degrees C because if it is higher or lower than this, your heart will have to work harder.
Body resistance exercises at home
Strength training is important for all of us as we age, because this is what will help us stay independent for longer. What’s more, building strength training into your exercise routine can help lower bad cholesterol while boosting good cholesterol.
You don’t have to hit the weights at the gym to include resistance training in your weeks though. Even doing simple body weight exercises like squats and push ups can help.
There are plenty of modifications available for these kinds of exercises too, so you can start where you feel comfortable and build your strength gradually. If you’re receiving home care in Southend, you could get your carer to support you too.
Cycling on a fixed bike
Cycling on a fixed exercise bike is another excellent way to get your cardiovascular system and your muscles working. Riding on a fixed bike is, naturally, safer than getting out on the roads.
With an exercise bike, you can tailor your workout to suit your fitness levels, regulating both the speed at which you cycle and the difficulty level by altering the incline and resistance you’re using.
Like swimming, this is another low-impact exercise, which is good news if you experience pain in your joints. You can use an exercise bike at a local gym, or you may want to invest in your own for your home.
Getting your diet right for heart health
Of course, exercise isn’t the only way to improve your heart health. What we fuel our bodies with also plays an important role. So, in addition to the exercise tips, we’ve also got five tips for eating healthily this February.
Eat a rainbow
Eating a high proportion of different fruits and vegetables is one of the best ways to improve your diet. One of the best ways to ensure variety in your meals is to “eat a rainbow” – in other words include as many different coloured vegetables or fruits in your diet as possible.
Some of the vegetables in season in the UK in February include purple sprouting broccoli, cauliflower, leeks and kale.
Remember that frozen vegetables are just as good for you as fresh ones. You can also eat dried fruit in addition to fresh fruit to help boost your fruit and veg intake.
Pick lower-fat dairy products
If you eat dairy products, opt for lower fat versions to improve your heart health while still consuming vital calcium and protein. Swapping from full-fat to semi-skimmed milk is one example.
Watch your portion sizes
It can be easy to fill your plate up with food every meal, but over-eating can lead to weight gain which puts a strain on your heart. Make sure you eat an appropriate amount for each meal. One simple tip is to use smaller plates.
The British Heart Foundation also has a simple system for measuring the amount of different types of food to put on your plate based on the size of your hands. This can help ensure you’re also eating a more balanced diet.
Reduce your salt intake
Salt (or sodium) is known to result in high blood pressure if you consume too much of it, so keep an eye on how much is in both the foods you buy as well as how much salt you add when cooking for yourself.
One of the easiest ways to lower your sodium intake is to cook for yourself. Many processed foods and ready meals contain high levels of salt. Batch cooking your own soups, for instance, will mean you are in control of how they’re seasoned.
Choose high-fibre options
Choosing whole-grain foods that are high in fibre is another great way to support your heart health. Eating more fruit and vegetables will help with this, especially if you leave the skin on them where possible.
You can also add pulses like lentils into your recipes and make sure you choose the likes of wholegrain pasta or bread when you’re shopping.
