The best heart-healthy workout for your lifestyle

Whether your free time is usually spent indoors, outside in nature or chasing your young kids around, there's a heart-healthy workout to suit your lifestyle. Here are a few workout options.

The Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP) recommends that healthy adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity aerobic activity each week. But what does that mean in real-world terms when you can't spend every evening in the gym?

Here are some heart-healthy workouts that can be adapted to fit any lifestyle.

Hitting a swimming pool during the winter is usually much more cost effective than joining a full-fledged gym. What's more, swimming laps is one of the most effective aerobic exercises you can do. It's also one of the easiest on your body, because the water supports you at the same time it offers resistance to your every movement.

However, you needn't stay in the pool during the summer:

• If you keep the intensity high, outdoor activities like kayaking, canoeing and stand-up paddle boarding can give you a great workout during your time under the sun.

Calisthenics such as jumping jacks, burpees and press-ups are perfect if you're on a tight budget.

• They don't require any special equipment and they build muscle at the same time they keep your heart racing.

If you're not a fan of jumping jacks, try a jump rope.

• For less than $20, you can get a great aerobic workout that's also appropriate for small spaces.

Calisthenics is a great option for apartment dwellers with limited space, too, but your downstairs neighbour might not appreciate hearing you hop around.

• Consider investing in a rowing ergometer or a stationary exercise bike instead. Both exercise machines are quiet, won't break the bank and don't take up much storage space.

If you don't like being indoors, hiking is a great way to keep fit without ever setting foot in a gym.

• It's relatively low-impact, so almost anyone can do it. As long as you dress properly, you can keep hiking year-round.

Once the snow gets deep, you can put on snowshoes or switch to cross-country skis to enjoy full-body cardio benefits all winter long!

You can make up for limited workout time by upping the intensity.

• Most people think of kettlebells as a muscle-building tool, but if you use a relatively small kettlebell and keep moving for 10 minutes or more, a kettlebell workout can count toward your aerobic exercise tally.

Those short bursts of intense workouts are great for a busy parent.

• If you're not a fan of kettlebells or don't know how to use them properly, use interval training to get the most out of your favourite exercise machine in a relatively short period of time.

Whatever your lifestyle, a heart-healthy workout is well within your reach if you tailor it to your schedule and interests.