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Exercise Helps Your Heart. How Much Do You Really Need?

December 23, 2024

Anyone paying attention to heart-healthy advice knows about the importance of exercise. But how much do you really need to lower your risk for heart troubles?

Before we delve into that question, let’s look at why exercise is so important. Simply put: People who engage in regular physical activity tend to enjoy longer, healthier lives.

That’s because regular exercise counters many of the risk factors that contribute to poor health and cardiac problems. Among the benefits, exercise:

  • Reduces your risk of heart attack
  • Lowers your blood pressure
  • Decreases your risk for arrhythmia (abnormal heartbeat)
  • Help to keep your weight under control
  • Decreases the amount of bad cholesterol in your blood
  • Improves your blood sugar
  • Helps you sleep better
  • Improves your mood
  • Decreases your risk for dementia

Exercise Recommendations

For many years, the American Heart Association has recommended that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise each week. That’s generally interpreted as working out half an hour a day, at least five days a week. But recent studies have suggested that it may not matter whether you spread it out over the week or cram it all into one or two days on the weekend.

This figure isn’t the result of a specific study (clinical trials for exercise would be quite difficult to accomplish). Instead, scientific advisory committees examined a wide range of research into chronic conditions (including diabetes and heart disease) to learn that 150 minutes of exercise offered protection against key risk factors, including high blood pressure, weight gain and high cholesterol.

One of the challenges with guidelines like these is that they don’t take into account the individuality of each person. If you are 80, for example, your exercise needs may be different than someone who is 30. It can also be a challenge to explain exactly what “moderate intensity” looks like.

One way to classify exercise intensity into three levels:

  1. Light intensity: You can talk and even sing without difficulty.
  2. Moderate intensity: You can’t sing, but you can still talk comfortably.
  3. Vigorous intensity: You can only say a few words between breaths.

Game-Changing Technology

One of the most significant personal health developments in recent years has been the introduction of wearable devices that monitor and collect information about your movements and vital signs. They come in a range of shapes and sizes – rings, watches and chest straps – but all accomplish the same thing: They offer an objective way to measure exercise.

Instead of tracking the somewhat vague minutes-per-week measurement, they track exactly how many steps you take each day. This measurement, alone, may be a key improving your heart health. One recent study found that women with high step counts had the same health benefits as those who exercised 150 minutes a week. Other studies have suggested a goal of 10,000 steps a day. Another found that among older women, a step count of 4,500 offered strong health benefits.

We’re still in the early stages here, but we could see a day when step goals are added to the current time-based exercise recommendations.

It’s important to remember that exercise recommendations are meant to be minimum targets. The more you can do, the better. At the same time, if you can’t hit the minimum threshold, don’t give up. Anything you do will be better than nothing.

Don’t Like to Exercise?

Unfortunately, not everyone is blessed with a burning to desire to exercise or play sports. You can start by figuring what’s getting in the way.

If you don’t like the idea of working out in a public gym, set up a small gym at your home. Perhaps you’d enjoy running or riding a bike out in nature. Or maybe you’d rather use a treadmill or stationary bike in the comfort of your own home.

If you don’t like exercising alone, join a team sport or find a workout buddy. This adds a social component, with the added benefit of peer pressure to keep you on target with your goals. If you work late, set aside 30 minutes every morning for a workout.

The key is to find something you like to do and then make it a regular part of your life. Your heart will thank you.

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