Celebrate a healthy heart during Heart Health Month in February. Start an exercise routine today to enjoy year-round benefits of a strong heart and better health.
Perhaps the best gift you can give yourself—and to those you love—is a strong and healthy heart. While there are many steps you can take to protect your heart, regular physical activity is one of the best ways to lower the risk of heart disease.
Even small amounts of regular physical activity can have a big impact on your heart health. Here are a few ways staying active can help your heart.
- Improves circulation. Physical activity gets your blood flowing. Good circulation allows the oxygen and nutrients you need to make their way to every part of your body. Healthy blood flow is also a key factor in removing waste products from your body. This can lower the risk of heart disease and stroke.
- Keeps blood pressure in check. Staying active helps keep high blood pressure under control. When you’re active, your blood vessels maintain flexibility and promote good blood flow. Keeping your blood pressure in check greatly reduces the strain on your heart and arteries, lowering the risk of heart disease.
- Manages weight. Keeping your weight at a healthy level is important for heart health. Too much body weight can put a lot more strain on your heart. One of the best ways to maintain a healthy weight is with regular exercise.
- Controls cholesterol levels. Regular exercise helps keep your cholesterol at healthy levels. It can lower your LDL levels (the bad stuff) and boost your HDL cholesterol (the good stuff)! Keeping these levels balanced can help prevent the build-up of plaque in your arteries. Plaque can stiffen the arteries and increase the chance of heart attack and stroke.
- Strengthens your heart muscle. Like other muscles, your heart gets stronger with regular exercise. Activities like walking, running, swimming, and cycling strengthen your heart, improving its efficiency and lowering the risk of heart disease.
- Manages stress. Unchecked stress can raise your blood pressure and even trigger a heart attack. Some people may cope with stress by eating, drinking, or smoking. But that may compound the issue. One of the best ways to manage stress is with regular physical activity.
- Improves blood sugar levels. High blood sugar levels can increase your risk of type 2 diabetes, a big risk factor for heart disease. Physical activity helps your muscles use blood sugar for energy. In turn, this helps lower your blood sugar levels.
Exercise recommendations
Any movement throughout the day is good, but starting a regular exercise routine is even better. The American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity exercise, which is about 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week.
Try to add some variety to your workouts. Mix in aerobic, strength, balance, and flexibility exercises each week. Not only will the variety keep it interesting, but it makes for a well-rounded fitness program that supports your overall health.
Over time, try to gradually add to the amount of activity you do each week.
Basic tips to get started with a fitness routine
If you’ve been inactive for some time or if you have any medical conditions, be sure to talk with your doctor before starting an exercise routine. But once you’re ready to get going, it’s a good idea to put a plan in place to help you stick with your fitness goals.
- Set realistic goals. Again, if it’s been some time since you’ve been active, start out slowly. You don’t want to burn yourself out or get injured. Trying to do too much too soon can also lead to failure. This can halt your progress before you even get into a groove.
- Make it fun. Choose activities that you want to do. If jogging/running isn’t appealing, find something you do enjoy! What sparks your interest? Maybe it’s dancing, hiking, tai chi, or yoga. Perhaps a team sport is more up your alley. Don’t be afraid to get creative and try something new. Finding something you love will make it that much easier to stick with it.
- Stay active as much as possible. Even when you’re not exercising, try to avoid sitting for too long. A sedentary lifestyle can pose a number of serious health risks for older adults, including damage to the heart. So, take the stairs instead of the elevator. Park a little farther from the store to get in a few more steps. If you’re relaxing at home, get up every now and then for a short walk.
- Listen to your body. Staying fit for your heart health is important, but so is paying attention to how your body feels while doing it. Don’t push yourself to the point of complete fatigue or injury. And while it’s okay to feel sore, you should stop working out if you have pain that doesn’t go away. If that is the case, be sure to see a health care professional for an evaluation. And don’t forget that rest and recovery are important parts of an exercise routine.
Your heart is your body’s beating engine. Remember that it needs help from you to operate at its very best. Paired with a healthy diet and other smart lifestyle choices, staying active and fit is one of the key foundations of heart health. And a strong heart can help you achieve a healthier, longer, and more vibrant life.
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This information is not intended to take the place of regular medical care or advice. Please check with your doctor before using this information or beginning any self-care program. Images used for this article do not depict any members of the Silver&Fit program.
References
American Heart Association. (2024, January 19). American Heart Association recommendations for physical activity in adults and kids. https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness/fitness-basics/aha-recs-for-physical-activity-in-adults
Bradley, S.M., Michos, E.D., & Miedema, M.D. (2019, August 23). Physical activity, fitness, and cardiovascular health: Insights from publications in JAMA Network Open. JAMA Network Open. 2019;2(8):e198343. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.8343
Corliss, J. (2023, January 1). Harvard Health. The many ways exercise helps your heart. https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/the-many-ways-exercise-helps-your-heart
Kovacic, J., & Fuster, V. (2022, September ). Exercise, cardiovascular disease, and the athlete’s heart*. JACC. 80(11) 1088–1090. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2022.07.022
National Institute of Health. (2022, March 24). Physical activity and your heart. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/heart/physical-activity
This article was written by Jason Nielsen, edited by Stephanie Ruiz, and clinically reviewed by Jaynie Bjornaraa, PhD, MPH, PT, SCS, LAT, ATC, CSCS, CSPS, on November 23, 2024.