Ideas for Heart-Healthy Exercise

The Raising Healthy Hearts Program recommends aiming for 60 minutes (1 hour) of moderate- to vigorous-intensity aerobic activity every day.

Indoor Exercise

There are lots of heart-healthy exercises you can do indoors when bad weather or busy schedules make it more difficult to get outside. Here are some suggestions:

• Dance
• Play an active indoor game
• Try some simple exercises like squats, pushups and jumping jacks
• Try yoga or stretching
• Practice handstands
• Have a bear crawl or crabwalk race

Outdoor Exercise

There are many fun and heart-healthy activities you can do in your own yard or neighborhood, with a club or at school. Here are some suggestions:

• Walk, jog or run
• Ride a bike
• Swim
• Play tag or Capture the Flag
• Hike with a friend
• Walk a pet
• Jump on a trampoline
• Ski, sled or snowboard
• Practice cartwheels or handstands
• Kayak or paddle a canoe
• Go fishing
• Go skateboarding
• Have a relay race or play tug-of-war
• Play a game of leap frog or another active game
• Build an obstacle course in your yard
• Make a hopscotch board with chalk
• Garden or do yard work
• Clean the house

Technology and Apps

There are many exercise and fitness apps for your smart phone, laptop or tablet that you can do alone or with friends. Here are some suggestions:

Electronic fitness games

• Wii Fit
• Kinect for Xbox
• Active Games on PS3

Fitness apps and trackers

• NFL Play 60®
• IRONKIDS®
• Moves App
• MapMyFitness

Sports

• Baseball
• Football
• Golf
• Soccer
• Softball
• Lacrosse
• Rowing
• Cheerleading
• Basketball
• Diving
• Hockey
• Volleyball
• Tennis
• Track and field

Classes and Programs

Taking a class or joining a program are fun ways to keep your heart healthy! You can try many of these activities at your local gym or fitness center.

• Join your local YMCA
• Join your local Boys & Girls Club
• Join Outdoors Rx at the Appalachian Mountain Club
• Join your local gym, recreational club or activity club
• Take a Zumba® class
• Take a Spin class
• Try a bootcamp workout
• Take a cardio, strength or flexibility class
• Take a kickboxing class
• Try interval training
• Try CrossFit Kids
• Join a sports camp
• Take martial arts classes
• Try gymnastics
• Take a Pilates class
• Do yoga or tai chi
• Take a class on your favorite style of dance
• Swim some laps at your local indoor pool

Strength Training

Strength training is a great way to exercise that can be done almost anywhere using just your body weight. You can also try using barbells, dumbbells or kettlebells at your local YMCA or exercise center. Here are some suggestions for strength training exercises:

• Push-ups
• Pull-ups
• Sit-ups
• Plank
• Triceps dips
• Back extensions
• Lunges and squats
• Chest press
• Overhead press
• Dead lift
• Cable pulley work
• Curls

What are some of your favorite heart-healthy activities? Use the lines below to add your favorites from this handout or write down your own ideas.

Rev. 5/2015. The Raising Healthy Hearts Clinic, Mass General for Children, and Massachusetts General Hospital do not endorse any of the exercises listed on this handout. This handout is intended to provide information. It is not a substitute for medical advice and should not be used to treatment of any medical conditions.