KT Walsh
CREATIVE  PRODUCER | WRITER | MEDIA RESEARCHER 

By: KT Walsh | 2013

To keep our tickers running on time they need TLC, so when you find yours sending out an S.O.S. think: Stretch, Open, Strengthen. How? Exercise, and not just one particular regimen, Yoga (Stretch), Pilates (Open), Cardio (Strengthen). Cross training with these three can help your heart stay in shape as well as your body.

Stretch your heart with Yoga. The postures and poses in yoga combined with controlled breathing calm the mind to promote relaxation and meditation. Various postures gently exercise the muscles. The deep breathing accompaniment slows the breathing rate to temporality lower blood pressure and stress hormones. This physical meditation cleans the mind and stretches the heart to combat heart disease, regulate stress and blood pressure, and may lower cholesterol levels and blood sugar.

Open your heart with Pilates. Just like yoga, controlled breathing takes your heart on the road to health. Pilates movements are more dynamic and atomically based to strengthen the deep postural muscles that provide your muscles and organs a sturdy hanger to hang on. The systematic movements of a Pilates practice helps improve blood circulation to your limbs, promoting efficient heart function.

Strengthen your Heart with Cardio workouts. The heart is a muscle. Just like a strong bicep can lift a heavier dumbbell with less strain, a strong heart can pump more blood into the body with less strain. Like any muscle, it’s strengthened by increasing resistance.  A fit person’s resting heart rate is low because the heart is pumping blood more efficiently. They get this efficiency by challenging the heart with exercise, regularly raising their heart rate and increasing cardiovascular capacity. Therefore, when resting, the heart is so strong it can actually pump two heartbeats worth of blood of an untrained heart. 

Being “fit” is a term for the heart to take to heart. The American Heart Association recommends at least a 30 minute moderately intense exercise on most days of the week. At HIP Studio in Hermosa Beach, we aim to answer the S.O.S. call from each heart in the community by offering Pilates, yoga, cardio kickboxing, Bag of Tricks (HIIT) and barre classes for a well rounded fitness routine. The more you work on all areas, Stretch, Open, Strengthen the more your heart will benefit from SOS.