A cardiologist explains 1 thing you can do to test your heart health — and simple exercises to improve it

Image by Greg Rosenke

Original post of Insider/Gabby Landsverk

• Every year, my health team colleagues and I learn about dozens of exercise hacks — some really work!
• Our workouts focused on saving time while getting big benefits for longevity, energy, and more. 
• We also found great ways to stay motivated and make exercise fun (with a little help from friends).

Exercise trends come and go, and as health reporters and editors, my colleagues and I have seen it all. And every year as we cover all the latest fitness hacks or fancy Instagram workouts, little tips and tricks inevitably influence how we approach our own exercises sessions.

These are the best changes the Business Insider health team has made to our workout routines in 2023 — from staying motivated to exercise, to getting a great gym session in 30 minutes or less.

• The best way to work out for better heart health is to keep it simple, according to a cardiologist.
• Adding a few minutes a day of movement you enjoy can help you get fitter and live longer. 
• You’ll know your workouts are effective if you notice they feel easier or you can do more over time.

Exercising regularly is one of the best ways to keep your heart healthy and stave off aging, and you don’t need to spend hours a week to benefit, according to a cardiologist.

Thanks to cutting-edge wearables and advances in the booming fitness tech industry, it’s easier than ever to keep tabs on your heart health in real time. Fitness stats like VO2 max can help make sure you’re getting the most out of your exercise sessions.

But even with all the data available, you don’t have to overcomplicate your workouts, said Dr. Edo Paz, a cardiologist at White Plains Hospital and senior vice president of medical affairs at the digital health company Hello Heart. While it can be motivating to measure your health progress with metrics like resting heart rate, the real test is low-tech, Paz said.

“For the vast majority of people, you don’t need any of this stuff. You just need to go out and start doing some activity,” he told Business Insider.

An easy way to test your heart health

Can you climb more flights of stairs without getting out of breath?

This is a simple measurement of your fitness level. Maybe you used to get winded after walking just three blocks with your dog but now do five or more without breaking a sweat. That’s a good sign you’re getting fit, which means a healthier, more efficient heart and better odds of living longer, Paz said.

Once you understand your current fitness level and heart health, you can set yourself small, achievable goals, then try the test again and see exactly how much you’ve improved.

“People understand that if they can do more, that means that they’re more fit,” Paz said.

Just a few extra minutes of exercise a day adds up

One of the biggest fitness mistakes you can make for your health is taking on too much too fast, according to Paz.

“You can start small and build on it. You don’t need to run a marathon tomorrow,” he said.

Start by figuring out how much exercise you typically get in a week.

The latest guidelines recommend 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity exercise, where you’re working just hard enough that you can’t carry a conversation, 75 minutes of vigorous activity, at a pace that leaves you out of breath, or a combination of both.

Paz said if you’re not there yet, adding a little more exercise at a time can make a big difference, with an extra 10 minutes a day as a good starting goal.

“I think it’s important to break it down into more bite-sized, achievable things so that you can gain some success and build on that. Even 10 minutes is meaningful and will make a difference,” he said. “Just because you’re not at two and a half hours a week doesn’t mean that it’s not worthwhile.”

You don’t have to run or jog to boost your heart health

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