The American Heart Association has established that inactivity is a major risk factor contributing to coronary artery disease, and contributes to risk factors for obesity, high blood pressure and a low level of HDL cholesterol.  With even modest levels of exercise,  these risk factors can be lessened.

Why is exercise so important?

Exercise can help control blood lipid abnormalities, diabetes and obesity.  And the more you exercise, the greater your capacity is to do more exercising-- lessening the effects of inactivity and lowering your risk factors for coronary artery disease.

Studies show that if you include a regular exercise program in your daily routine after a heart attack, you have a better rate of survival than those who do not exercise.  Healthy persons fair even better when they exercise on a regular basis in preventing coronary artery disease from taking hold.  Even modest levels of exercise can be beneficial.

How can exercise help condition my body?

• Exercise improves your flexibility, strength and/or endurance.
• Exercising the large muscles in your arms and legs will make your heart beat faster and work more efficiently.  This is called aerobic exercise.
• Exercise helps build healthy bones, muscles and joints.
• Exercise reduces feelings of depression and anxiety, improving your mood.

How can I improve my physical fitness?

Frequency + Intensity + Time  =  Conditioning 

It is important not to over exercise, especially in the beginning; but the greater these three factors are, the greater your physical fitness will be.  Make sure to check with your doctor before beginning any new exercise program. 

The American Heart Association recommends that healthy people engage in an aerobic activity for at least 30 minutes, 3 to 4 days per week, at 50 to 75 percent of maximum heart rate.  However, even moderately intensive physical activity for 30 minutes a day will provide some benefits.  If you are unable to exercise vigorously, don't worry--even daily, low-intensity activity, can help lower your risk of cardiovascular disease. The most important thing to do is to include some sort of physical activity as part of your daily routine.  AND, check with your doctor before beginning any new exercise program.

How important is my heart rate when exercising?

The American Heart Association recommends that you stay within 50 to 75 percent of your maximum heart rate.  This is called your target heart rate.

Your maximum heart rate is approximately 220 minus your age, so if you are 60, your maximum heart rate is 160.  Your target heart rate (remember, that's 50 - 75% of your maximum) is 80 - 120.  

If your exercise program is new to you, for the first few weeks try to work at the lowest level of your target zone (50%).  the, you can build up to the high end of your target zone (75%) on a gradual basis.  back to top

What activities use the most calories?

A calorie is a measure of heat or energy.  During activity, a series of reactions releases energy.  Over time, excess food energy is stored as body fat, which can be of concern.  Exercise uses stored energy and can help to reduce the stored body fat.

Exercise burns calories.  The rate in which calories are burned depends upon your body size and on the intensity of the physical activity.  More calories will be burned by high intensity activities, and a larger person will burn more calories than a smaller person.

Here's a sampling of activities to help improve your heart health.

To compute your calories burned, multiply your weight x activity x the length of your activity to get the total number of calories burned.  For example, if you weigh 140 pounds and you played tennis for 30 minutes, multiply 140 x .032 x 30 for a total of 134.40 calories.  

Remember, the key to exercising is to do it!  back to top

What about exercising if I'm older?

The older you are, the more you need to exercise regularly.  Exercising will help reduce the risk of fractures by preventing bone loss, and may help improve your balance and coordination, reducing the number of falls.  Your quality of life can be improved if you keep physically active.

Here's even more benefits of exercising:

• The American Heart Association reports that some studies show that increased levels of physical activity are associated with a reduction in the incidence of coronary heart disease, hypertension, non-insulin dependent diabetes, colon cancer, depression and anxiety.
• People with high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or diabetes who stay active are less likely to die prematurely than those who are inactive.
• The Stanford Center for Research and the Emory University Sleep Disorders Program found that older people who exercise moderately on a regular basis take less time getting to sleep at night and generally sleep longer and more soundly than their sedentary counterparts.

Remember to check with your doctor before starting any new exercise program.

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Risk Factors

Exercising