8 Heart Healthy Outdoor Activities for Denver Residents
With over 300 days of sunshine, a temperate climate and close proximity to the mountains, there are virtually limitless opportunities for Denver residents to enjoy the outdoors year round. This is one of the primary reasons why Colorado is one of the most heart healthy states in the country. If youâre looking for heart healthy outdoor activities to help you stay fit and enjoy our beautiful state, this place is the right one for you, it even offers archery.
Walking and Hiking
Whether you prefer a brisk walk around Denverâs many multi-use trails or a strenuous hike in the foothills, youâll benefit from a great outdoor activity that gets your heart rate up and allows you to enjoy the beautiful scenery in and around Denver.
With walking and hiking, youâre able to tailor your activity to your level of physical fitness. For those who arenât in great shape, walking every day will help you move your body and experience cardiovascular benefits. Individuals who are in great shape can choose from hundreds of hiking trails of varying length and elevation gain, from short easy hikes to extremely challenging fourteeners located within a short drive of the city.
Biking
Biking is great for your heart health. It strengthens your heart muscles, lowers your resting heart rate, improves your circulation and reduces blood fat levels. Regular cycling is a great way to reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease.
Whether you prefer road biking or mountain biking, you have plenty of options in and around Denver. There are multi-use paths throughout the city that allow you to go for long rides that will get your heart rate up. If you prefer more strenuous road biking, you can venture just outside of Denver, where there are plenty of challenging rides through the canyons near Boulder.
Mountain bikers can enjoy an abundance of trails in nearby towns such as Boulder, Golden and Evergreen. If you prefer more challenging terrain, a short drive into the mountains will give you access to some of the best trails in the state.
Outdoor Yoga
While most people do yoga for the strength, balance and flexibility benefits it provides, itâs also a great way to improve your heart health. Yoga can help lower your heart rate, blood pressure, blood glucose levels and cholesterol, making it an effective way to reduce your risk of heart disease.
Outdoor yoga is extremely popular in and around Denver. While you can enjoy this activity at home if you have an outdoor patio, there are also quite a few organized outdoor yoga activities you can attend, including:
- Yoga on the Rocks at the world-renowned Red Rocks Park and Amphitheater
- Yoga at the Denver Botanic Gardens
- Civic Center MOVES (yoga classes in Civic Center Park every Wednesday morning from May through mid-October)
Running
Running isnât a uniquely Denver activity, but itâs still a great way to stay active outdoors in our city. Running is a great source of cardiovascular exercise. It lowers your blood pressure and cholesterol, improves the flow of oxygen throughout your body, and strengthens your heart and blood vessels.
Kayaking
Kayaking is a low impact activity that provides a great workout for your upper body and your core. Itâs also great for your heart health, as the quick, repetitive motions used to maneuver the kayak increase your heart rate, strengthen your heart muscles and improve blood flow throughout your body.
Denverâs Platte River is a great place to go kayaking. If you prefer to get into the mountains, the Arkansas River near Buena Vista or the Colorado River are just a short drive from the city.
Skiing, Snowboarding, Cross-Country Skiing, and Snowshoeing
One of the greatest benefits of living in Colorado is that you can remain active outdoors all year long. In the winter, there are a number of snow sports that will provide you with a great cardiovascular workout. Denver is a short drive from several world-class ski resorts, including Vail, Steamboat, Aspen and Breckenridge. If you prefer to stay closer to home, you can ski and snowboard at Eldora Mountain, just outside of Boulder.
Fortunately, you donât have to be a skier or snowboarder to enjoy the outdoors in the winter. The hiking trails throughout the Front Range become a great place to snowshoe in the winter. You can also take advantage of many great cross-country skiing destinations within a couple hours of Denver.
Join a Sports League
You donât have to give up team sports just because youâre no longer in high school or college. If you miss being part of a team and want to reincorporate your favorite team sports into your life, you can sign up for a variety of leagues through Meet. Play. Chill. This organization can connect you with opportunities to join weekly leagues, or you can drop in on games sporadically if youâre unable to commit to going every week. In addition to staying active and improving your heart health, joining a sports league is a great way to grow your social network and meet others with similar interests.
Visit a Hot Springs
While hot springs are more a source of relaxation than a mode of exercise, they still provide heart health benefits. The hot water stimulates healthy blood circulation and increases blood oxygenation. Hot springs can also help lower your blood pressure and reduce stress, both of which contribute to optimal heart health.
South Denver Cardiology Can Help You Maintain a Heart Healthy Lifestyle
If youâre interested in living a more fit, heart healthy lifestyle, South Denver Cardiology Associates can help. Our preventive cardiology clinic provides comprehensive diagnostic testing that will identify any conditions that may increase your risk of heart disease in their early stages. Our team of cardiologists will then work closely with you to develop a customized treatment plan to address these conditions and improve your heart health.
You can also take advantage of several other programs at our clinic which will help you make the lifestyle adjustments necessary to improve your heart health, including:
- Medical fitness gym that will help you develop a workout routine to improve your cardiovascular health
- Nutritional counseling services to help you eat a heart healthy diet
- Weight loss clinic that will help you maintain a more heart healthy weight
Contact us today to schedule an appointment. South Denver Cardiology Associates serves patients in the South Denver area and Littleton.
- Services Offered at Our Heart Arrhythmia Clinic - April 29, 2024
- Can I Shovel Snow with a Heart Condition? - March 18, 2024
- 6 Tips for Resuming Outdoor Exercise this Spring - March 11, 2024
Sign Up
As with any health concerns, your specific treatment program should be discussed thoroughly with your primary care physician as well as any specialists who may need to be consulted â like a cardiologist.
Sign Up