What can you do to prevent or reverse heart disease? Studies indicate that pairing a healthy diet with regular exercise is the best way not only to prevent heart disease, but to reverse some risk factors. Show
Is it necessary to pound the miles at the gym every day, or will a simple 30-minute walk do the trick? It’s always best to check with your doctor, but most research shows that any type of exercise that you enjoy and will perform on a regular basis is best.
The heart needs exercise just like any other muscle. Muscles that are utilized regularly become stronger and healthier, whereas muscles that aren’t used weaken and atrophy. When it’s exercised, the heart can pump more blood through the body and continue working at optimal efficiency with little strain. This will likely help it to stay healthy longer. Regular exercise also helps to keep arteries and other blood vessels flexible, ensuring good blood flow and normal blood pressure. According to the American Heart Association journal Circulation, as many as 250,000 deaths per year in the United States can be attributed to a lack of regular exercise. Living a sedentary, or inactive, lifestyle has consistently been one of the top five risk factors for heart disease. Other risk factors include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, and obesity. Those with low levels of physical fitness also experience a higher rate of cardiovascular events, like heart attack and death. According to research from the University of South Carolina, men who reported more than 23 hours a week of sedentary activity had a 64 percent greater risk of dying from heart disease than those who reported less than 11 hours. Inactivity also affects other risk factors for heart disease. For example, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, sedentary people have a 35 percent greater risk of developing high blood pressure than physically active people do. While a lack of physical activity raises the risk for heart disease, engaging in regular exercise lowers it. Consider the following:
According to the American Heart Association, exercising 30 minutes a day five days a week will improve your heart health and help reduce your risk of heart disease. They define “physical activity” as anything that makes you move your body and burn calories. This includes: climbing stairs, playing sports, walking, jogging, swimming, biking, and more. No matter what you do, all studies indicate that some exercise is better than none. According to a review published in Circulation, people who engaged in 150 minutes of moderate-intensity leisure activity per week had a 14 percent lower risk of coronary heart disease than those who reported no exercise. The more you exercise, the lower your risk. The Mayo Clinic suggests that you can even benefit from 10-minute intervals several times a day. Always check with your doctor before starting an exercise program. They can help you find activities that will increase your heart health without the risk of injury. Sit less and move more every day to improve your heart health. Find out how much physical activity you need to do each week, and what counts. In this articlePhysical activity includes any type of movement you do. From walking to cleaning the house or gardening, the more you move the better. BenefitsAny physical activity you do will improve your heart health, and your overall health. Being more active will:
Sit lessThe more time you spend sitting, the worse it is for your heart health. If you can break up long periods of sitting and replace it with any type of physical activity whenever you can, it will help your heart. How to sit less
What countsAny type of movement helps to break up time you may spend sitting. It all counts towards physical activity. Take any opportunity to move your body and aim to be physically active every day. Here are some examples of activities you could do. Light activityLight-intensity activity won't cause a noticeable change in your breathing, and you'll be able to do it for a long time. It may include:
Moderate activityModerate-intensity activity makes you feel warmer, breathe harder and your heart beat faster. It may include:
VigorousVigorous-intensity activity is the most intense. When you do it, you won't be able to say more than a few words without pausing for breath. It may include:
How muchTry to do at least 2.5 hours (150 minutes) of moderate-intensity physical activity each week. Moderate-intensity activity makes you breathe harder than normal but still able to talk. Or you can try to do 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity each week. Vigorous-intensity activity makes it hard to say more than a few words. Every minute counts. If you do more physical activity than this, it's even better for your heart health. 150 minutes moderate-intensity physical activityModerate-intensity activity should make you breathe harder than normal. This could be:
75 minutes vigorous intensity physical activityWhen you do vigorous physical activity, it's hard to say more than a few words. This could include:
If you have a heart condition, or other medical conditionTalk with your doctor before you start to do more physical activity. Ask them for advice on the type of activity you could do, and how much you should do. Gradually build your activity levels with the aim of doing at least 2.5 hours (150 minutes) of physical activity each week that makes you breathe harder, but you should still be able to talk. Any progress will improve your heart health. Ask your doctor about exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation programmes or the Green Prescription programme for supervised exercise (where available). Visit our directory to find your nearest heart support group. How to startIt's never too late to start. Everyone benefits by sitting less and moving more. The good news is that people who don't do anything have the most to gain and your health will improve as you start to move. Getting started is easier than you think. Changing a few daily habits will soon add up to a more active you. Be active in as many ways as possible every day. And if you don’t think you can squeeze anything else into your day, see if you can reduce the time that you spend sitting and free up time to be active. Start smallBlock out time in your day even if it's just a walk to the shops. You can then build up gradually. Set a realistic goalIf you're new to exercise, set a goal of 5-10 minutes a day and build up slowly. Find an activity you enjoyThere are lots of different activities that count from dancing, gardening, walking and swimming. It's an opportunity to try something new. Ask family or a friend to join youBuild activity into meeting with friends like going for a walk or a hike. Stay safeKnow your limits and stop if you feel any pain or discomfort. Build upGradually increase the amount you do. Go for a little longer or a little further. RememberIf you haven't been active for some time, start with small amounts of light activity and gradually increase the number of days and the length of time you're active. Over time you'll be surprised at how quickly your body gets used to physical activity. As your fitness increases you may be able to be active for longer or be able to add in ways to make it harder (like adding in hills when you're walking). Stay safeIt's important to stay safe particularly if you haven't been active for some time.
Exercise or physical activity?Exercise and physical activity are both good for your health. The difference is exercise is planned and more structured. If you go to the gym three times a week, or regularly jog or go to a fitness class, this is exercise and a type of physical activity. The movements that happen throughout your day, like walking to your car or to the shops, are less structured. These types of movement are physical activity. Heart Foundation recommendationsBased on the findings from our 'Physical activity, sedentary behaviour and heart health' position statement, everything we can do to sit less and move more is associated with better heart health outcomes. Read our full Physical activity and sedentary behaviour position statement. Read the position statementMore information about being active How much does exercise reduce risk of heart disease?No matter what you do, all studies indicate that some exercise is better than none. According to a review published in Circulation, people who engaged in 150 minutes of moderate-intensity leisure activity per week had a 14 percent lower risk of coronary heart disease than those who reported no exercise.
What is the minimum recommended amount of exercise to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by 20 percent?Based on these risk factors and studies, all major cardiovascular societies recommend that a minimum of 5 days a week of exercise, with at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, is needed to prevent CVD [110].
What are the recommended minimums for cardiovascular exercise?Get at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes per week of vigorous aerobic activity, or a combination of both, preferably spread throughout the week.
How much exercise is recommended per day?As a general goal, aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity every day. If you want to lose weight, maintain weight loss or meet specific fitness goals, you may need to exercise more. Reducing sitting time is important, too.
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