Swimming is a cool, low-impact way for you to burn calories and strengthen your heart. Swimming works your muscles and heart while being easy on your joints. Start by swimming at a steady pace for 10 minutes. This might sound like a short period of time, but if you haven't dipped a toe in the pool for a while, you'll need to build up your stamina. Increase your swim time to 20 minutes or more for full heart-health benefits, including building muscle strength, stimulating blood flow throughout your body, and building endurance. Try different strokes, such as the freestyle, breaststroke, and backstroke.
Step it up:
Join a water aerobics class. It's a great way to meet new workout buddies, have fun, and, most importantly, get a total-body workout.