Best Exercise for Heart Health: Workouts for Every Age

Expert Reviewer: Kellee Grimes, MBA, RN, BSN
Director of Human Resources, Mutual of Omaha

Summary: This article breaks down the best exercise for heart health, with five practical ways of moving that can be easily incorporated into your daily life. Build endurance, reduce risk, and protect your heart, with no need for an expensive gym membership.

Your heart isn’t just a muscle. It’s the engine that keeps your body running. And like any engine, it performs better with regular maintenance. That doesn’t mean you need a personal trainer or fancy gear. It means getting your heart pumping, consistently and deliberately, through movement that’s right for your abilities and lifestyle.

In the United States, someone has a heart attack roughly every 40 seconds¹, a reminder that daily movement matters. The best exercise for heart health isn’t extreme; it’s regular, sustainable, and tailored to where you are right now. Let’s look at what works, what doesn’t, and how to build a heart-healthy routine that lasts.

Why movement matters more than perfection

Kellee Grimes, Registered Nurse, Certified ADAAA Coordinator, and Director of Human Resources at Mutual of Omaha, emphasizes the importance of consulting your physician before starting any cardiovascular exercise program. “Your doctor can help determine a routine that’s tailored to your individual needs and ensure it’s safe for you to engage in cardiovascular activity,” she advises.

After you’ve received the go-ahead for exercise, it’s time to get started. Forget the idea of needing a perfect routine to see results, because your heart doesn’t care if you’re working out in a gym, at home in your living room, or on your neighborhood streets. It cares that you’re using it. Regular cardiovascular exercises strengthen your heart muscle, improve circulation, and reduce your long-term risk of heart disease.

Here’s what steady, moderate movement can do²:

• Improve circulation and lower resting blood pressure
• Reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol and increase HDL (good) cholesterol
• Help manage blood sugar and improve insulin sensitivity
• Lower stress hormones and reduce inflammation
• Improve sleep and support long-term weight management

You don’t need to go hard every day. What matters is consistency and variety, and mixing aerobic activity with strength training gives your heart exactly the challenge it needs.

The 5 best exercises to strengthen your heart

These five exercises are simple to do and supported by cardiovascular research. You can do them with minimal equipment, and without feeling like you’ve signed up for extensive training.

1. Brisk walking

Walking is one of the most underrated heart workouts. It’s easy on your joints, doesn’t require equipment, and can be done almost anywhere. The key is intensity: a slow stroll won’t do much, but picking up the pace gets your heart rate into the zone where benefits build.

• How much and how often: Aim for 30 minutes a day, five times a week. You can break it up into 10-minute sessions if that fits your schedule better.³
• Why it works: Brisk walking improves circulation, helps regulate blood pressure, and supports your lungs and muscles. It’s especially effective for reducing abdominal fat (linked to higher heart disease risk) and improving glucose tolerance. Over time, it also supports better sleep and mental clarity.

2. Cycling

Whether it’s outdoors or on a stationary bike, cycling is a powerful way to strengthen your heart. It engages major muscle groups, challenges your cardiovascular system, and builds endurance without putting excessive stress on your knees or hips.

• How much and how often: Start with two or three 20–30-minute sessions per week. Add time and intensity as your endurance improves. If you are indoors, interval-style cycling can be especially effective.
• Why it works: Cycling reduces resting heart rate and increases aerobic capacity. It’s low-impact, making it accessible for people with joint concerns. Plus, it trains your heart to recover faster after exertion, one of the best markers of cardiovascular fitness.

3. Swimming

Swimming is a full-body workout that doubles as a cardiovascular powerhouse. It builds strength and endurance while minimizing joint strain, making it ideal for people who want a challenging workout without wear and tear.

• How much and how often: Start with 20 minutes, twice a week. You don’t need to swim laps at high speed; just moving consistently through the water will do the job. Water aerobics and pool walking also count.
• Why it works: Exercising in water means your body is getting gentle resistance from every direction, and engages upper and lower body muscles. Swimming improves lung capacity, circulation, and heart function while keeping core temperature stable, helping prevent overheating.

4. Strength training

Cardiovascular health isn’t just about cardio. Building lean muscle mass improves metabolic health, reduces insulin resistance, and helps your body process fats and sugars more efficiently. It also makes everyday movement easier, which reduces stress on the heart over time.

• How much and how often: Aim for two full-body sessions per week, with at least two rest days in between. You can use resistance bands, weights, or even your body’s own resistance (squats, lunges, push-ups), whatever works best for you.⁴
• Why it works: Strength training increases overall muscular efficiency and reduces visceral fat—the dangerous fat around organs linked to heart disease. It also supports bone health, improves posture, and keeps metabolism active, which supports long-term weight control.

5. Interval training

Interval training—alternating bursts of high effort with recovery periods—is an efficient way to improve heart performance. It trains your heart to adapt quickly to different levels of demand, increasing both aerobic and anaerobic capacity.

• How much and how often: Try two or three sessions a week⁵, especially if you’re already doing other exercise, such as walking or biking, regularly. Intervals can be applied to walking (e.g., fast walk for one minute, recover for two), cycling, swimming, or bodyweight circuits.
• Why it works: HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) improves cardiovascular endurance, insulin sensitivity, and blood pressure regulation. It burns more calories in less time and helps your heart become more resilient under stress.

How much movement is enough?

According to the American Heart Association⁶, adults aiming for good heart health should do:

• At least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per week
• Or 75 minutes of vigorous activity
• Plus two sessions of muscle-strengthening activity

That breaks down to just 30 minutes a day, five days a week. If you’re tight on time, even three 10-minute walks can provide benefits.

And remember, daily movement counts. Walking the dog, gardening, cleaning the house—it all contributes. The actual risk isn’t skipping the gym; it’s sitting for 10 hours a day.

Building a routine that sticks

A workout plan only works if you use it. And most people quit because they start too fast, overcomplicate it, or treat exercise like a punishment. Here’s how to build a habit that lasts:

• Start where you are, not where you think you should be. Ten minutes of walking is better than no minutes. Add a minute each week. Stack your workout onto something you already do—like walking after lunch or stretching while watching TV.
• Track what you do, not to obsess over numbers, but to build momentum. When you look back and see ten walks logged, you’ll want to keep going.
• Don’t tie your identity to being “athletic.” Tie it to being consistent. You are someone who moves. That’s enough.

Warning signs you’re overdoing it

Exercise can be considered medicine, but as with any medicine, too much can cause harm. If you notice workouts getting harder instead of easier, you might be over-training.

Signs include poor sleep, irritability, ongoing soreness, elevated resting heart rate, or declining performance. If that’s you, take a rest day or switch to a lighter activity, like stretching or walking. Your heart strengthens during recovery, not just during exertion.

Supporting your heart beyond exercise

Exercise is a pillar—but not the entire house. For true cardiovascular health, your lifestyle has to support your movement.

Prioritize sleep. Most people need 7–8 hours to support proper heart function. Eat a heart-healthy diet with more fiber, protein, and healthy fats, and less sugar and ultra-processed food. Manage stress with breathwork, social connection, or quiet time. And if you smoke or drink heavily, cutting back could do more for your heart than any workout.

Making exercise part of the plan

The best exercise for heart health isn’t necessarily the hardest; it’s the one you’ll do consistently. It could be walking, swimming, lifting your own bodyweight, or riding a bike. It all counts, as long as you keep showing up.

And you don’t need to be in perfect shape to start, because starting is how you build fitness. Your heart isn’t looking for perfection, it just needs consistency, so start by picking one way to move today.

Take care of your heart while staying focused on what matters most. Speak with a financial professional at Mutual of Omaha to explore solutions that support both your health and your long-term goals.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: What is the fastest way to improve heart health?

The fastest way to improve heart health is through consistent aerobic exercise. Activities like brisk walking, cycling, or swimming can start strengthening your heart, lowering blood pressure, and improving circulation. Pairing exercise with healthy eating and stress management makes the impact even stronger.

Q2: Can a weak heart become strong again?

In many cases, a weakened heart can improve with the right approach. Regular cardiovascular exercise, a heart-healthy diet, and following your doctor’s treatment plan can help rebuild heart function over time. Progress may be gradual, but small, consistent steps can lead to measurable change.

Q3: Do long walks count as cardio?

Yes, long walks absolutely count as cardio, especially if they’re brisk enough to raise your heart rate. Walking is a low-impact, accessible way to improve cardiovascular health, endurance, and circulation. The key is consistency and maintaining a pace that challenges your heart just enough.

Sources

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, https://www.cdc.gov/heart-disease/data-research/facts-stats/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/facts.htm, October 2024
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, https://www.cdc.gov/physical-activity-basics/benefits/index.html, April 2024
3. American Heart Association, https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness/walking/why-is-walking-the-most-popular-form-of-exercise, January 2024
4. American Heart Association, https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness/fitness-basics/strength-and-resistance-training-exercise, January 2024
5. Health.com, https://www.health.com/how-often-should-you-do-hiit-workouts-8418619, December 2023
6. American Heart Association, https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/go-red-get-fit/what-exercise-is-right-for-me, January 2024

Expertly Reviewed by: Kellee Grimes, MBA, RN, BSN

Director of Human Resources, Mutual of Omaha

Kellee Grimes is a Registered Nurse, Certified ADAAA Coordinator, and Director of Human Resources at Mutual of Omaha. Leveraging her clinical experience in critical cardiac care and over a decade in health and welfare benefit administration, Kellee is passionate about comprehensive healthcare and dedicated to fostering inclusive, equitable communities. She and her husband are proud to raise their children as active and engaged members of the community.

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