Keep your heart pumping with a new exercise routine

Valentine’s Day is synonymous with images of red hearts with tiny cherubs aiming their little arrows right at them. In honor of these iconic images, let’s focus on the organ from which the special day takes its inspiration.

The human heart is the body’s tireless workhorse, easily overlooked and often taken for granted until it stops working properly. Give it the respect it deserves before this happens by giving it the exercise it needs. This month, try changing your workout routines to emphasize heart-pumping activity. Here is an example of how to structure a workout week.

Sunday: Perform your cardiovascular activity of choice at roughly 50 percent to 60 percent off your highest intensity level. If jogging is your choice, aim for longer mileage at a slower pace than usual for 35 to 60 minutes.

Monday: Make strength training your focus to shuffle the workout deck and keep the body from adapting to a routine. To keep the cardiovascular theme going, choose exercises that involve the entire body and perform the exercises for 1 minute each instead of counting repetitions. First, perform deep squats while pushing your arms overhead on the ascent, immediately followed by push-ups. Completing this continuous loop are controlled crunches. Repeat this trifecta for three sets. Depending on the rest time you take between sets, this should take you 9 to 15 minutes. Use the remainder of your 30- to 40-minute workout time to perform a quick, brisk cardiovascular session.

Tuesday: Repeat Sunday’s exercise.

Wednesday: This is cardiovascular day, when you push harder than normal and work toward your personal best for the week. For example, if you walked a hill Sunday and Wednesday, today you’re going to run it, 35 to 45 minutes.

Thursday: Think of this day as a leisure day, with activity to keep your momentum going. Go for a walk or an easy hike, for instance.

Friday: Repeat Monday’s routine for 30 to 40 minutes.

Saturday: Take this day off and allow your body to rest. You deserve it!

Remember, this schedule assumes you are healthy enough for elevated and prolonged exertion. If it is either too rigorous or too easy, take the general essence of the schedule and apply it to your own fitness level. Now, get out there and sweat, and wish yourself a Happy Heart Day!

———

Reggie Palma is an exercise physiologist and personal trainer. His website is fitnessatyourdoorhawaii.com. Email questions to Fitnessatyourdoor@Mac.com.