So train your heart

Your heart is a muscle with the ultra-important task of pumping blood to all your organs a hundred thousand times a day. To keep that muscle in top condition, it's good to train it. The fitter your heart, the better you feel. However, not every workout is suitable. Read below how to do it right.

Training with Oxygen

Your cardiovascular endurance indicates how fit your heart is. The better your heart can pump oxygen and blood to the muscles, the healthier it usually is. With cardiovascular fitness, or cardio, you work on this.

Train at the right intensity (in the right heart rate zone)

How to measure your heart rate and heart rate zone

You can measure your heart rate with a smartwatch or a heart rate monitor. One that goes around your chest is the most accurate, but a wrist heart rate monitor works just fine. To calculate what is 70-80% of your maximum heart rate, you can do the following: subtract your age from the number 220. Calculate 70% (lower limit) and 80% (upper limit) of that, and ta-da: this is your ideal training zone.

How often should you train your heart?

Best sports for your heart

Actually, all sports are suitable. The most important thing is that you engage in an activity that suits you. To get the most out of the training, it's important to do something you enjoy. A comfortable feeling increases the likelihood that you'll stick with it for a longer time and helps you relax. Whether you're cycling, running, walking, rowing, doing aerobics, or strength training: all good.

Yup, strength training is also on this list. You can do this at a heart rate between 70 and 80%. Don't train as heavy as possible, but lower the weights, go for more reps, and do different workouts in a row. Create a circuit of, for example, three workouts in a row. Stay between 70-80% and then take a 1-minute break. You can repeat this over and over. Tip: vary the workouts.

Training for more vitality?