You see it everywhere: on the news, in the papers, on TV—we are a nation of couch potatoes, and we need to exercise. I’m sure that many of you take a look at those images of slim, attractive men and women smiling through their beads of sweat on their brow, and you figure “well, that’s all very well and good…but I can’t be like that”. While most people understand that exercise is good for the heart, I want to take some time to explain just how exercise improves heart health, to describe what type of exercise will best improve heart health, and to address concerns about the safety of exercise, especially in people who have had heart problems in the past.
Exercise is important in improving many of the ongoing processes that cause heart disease: it lowers LDL (“bad” cholesterol)15% for men and 30% for women and increases HDL (“good” cholesterol) from 5% (for men) to 20% (for women). In a study of 50,000 healthy women, daily walking reduced the risk of obesity by 24% and diabetes by 34%. In a 70,000 person study of postmenopausal women, daily walking reduced the risk of stroke, heart attack, and/or heart-related death by 30-40%. Talk about your “miracle” drug—with virtually no side effects and very low cost!
Well, it’s easy to say that exercise is good for you, but actually doing it is not that easy. Not true! It doesn’t take a lot of exercise to keep your heart healthy. Light exercise (such as walking 30 minutes a day), gives you just as much benefit as more vigorous activity (see on left). You don’t have to be a marathon runner to be heart healthy! Instead, be disciplined - 30 minutes of exercise every day: 5 minute warm-up, 5 minute cool down, and 20 minutes of sustained exercise (to the point where you feel it in your breath, but are still able to maintain a conversation)—that should be your goal.
Finally, some might say, isn’t it dangerous for people with heart problems to exercise? The answer is that failing to exercise is more dangerous to your health than exercise if you have heart problems; that is why the American Heart Association gives cardiac rehabilitation exercise programs a Class I (highest recommendation) for people with a history of heart pain, heart attack, or poor heart function, or recent bypass surgery or stenting. Cardiac rehabilitation services are available at Hannibal Regional Hospital; if you have had these conditions in the past, you may want to ask your doctor whether you qualify for cardiac rehabilitation services.
For more information, call Edward Ha, M.D., F.A.C.C., Interventional Cardiologist at Hannibal Regional Medical Group's Cardiovascular Institute at 573-629-3300.