The Benefits of Exercise – Listen to your heart
We often think about exercising to lose weight of to build muscle (get buff).
What is the most important muscle to exercise?
That’s right, our heart.
The Benefits of Exercise on our Hearts.
Moving our bodies
Reduces our risk of heart attack[i], and
Prevents, and reverses some risk factors, of heart disease.[ii][iii]
Conversely, inactivity is one of the top risk factors for heart disease.[iv]
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How does it work?
Strengthening the Heart Muscles
One of the direct ways exercise benefits our heart health is through strengthening the heart muscle.
The heart is a muscular organ made up of four chambers which pump freshly oxygenated blood out of the heart and around the body.[v][vi]
Regular exercise increases the size of the left ventricle (the strongest chamber which pumps blood to the rest of our body) that makes it easier for it to supply blood to your body.
When we exercise, our heart is able to pump more blood around our body more efficiently with little strain which helps it stay healthy longer.[vii]
Indirect Ways Exercise Helps Protect our Heart[viii]
Exercise also helps in other ways.
It helps lower blood pressure
High blood pressure can damage our blood vessels and increase the risk of heart attack).
It helps to reduce ‘bad cholesterol’
Bad cholesterol can clog and harden our arteries which means our heart has to work harder.
It helps to us to maintain a healthy weight.
Excess weight, especially in the stomach region, can strain our heart.
It helps our parasympathetic nervous system to function.
This helps to reduce our
Heart rate,
Blood pressure, and
Breathing rate.
This reduces the load on our heart.[ix]
What type of exercise can help?
Aerobic Exercise
Aerobic exercise is particularly good for the heart. This includes
Brisk walking,
Swimming,
Running,
Dancing, and
Cycling.[x]
The American Heart Association recommends 30 minutes a day, five days a week but some exercise is better than none.[xi]
The Mayo Clinic proposes that even 10-minute intervals several times a day can be beneficial.[xii]
Exercise helps to strength our heart and enables it to operate more efficiently. It also helps indirectly by reducing the laad on our heart and helping it pump blood around our body in an optimal fashion. Just a few 10 minute sessions a day can be beneficial so why not help your heart and get moving today.
If you’d like to start exercising contact us or some advice or have a look at how we can help you get some exercise into your life.
[i] https://www.heartfoundation.org.au/heart-health-education/benefits-of-physical-activity
[ii] https://www.healthline.com/health/heart-disease/exercise#Why-Exercise-Matters
[iii] https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/cardiac-rehab/getting-physically-active/whats-the-link-between-physical-activity-and-health
[iv] https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/exercise-for-heart-health#1
[v] https://www.acefitness.org/education-and-resources/professional/expert-articles/6261/10-ways-exercise-helps-to-protect-your-heart/
[vi] https://www.webmd.com/heart/picture-of-the-heart#1
[vii] https://www.healthline.com/health/heart-disease/exercise#Why-Exercise-Matters
[viii] https://www.acefitness.org/education-and-resources/professional/expert-articles/6261/10-ways-exercise-helps-to-protect-your-heart/
[ix] https://www.acefitness.org/education-and-resources/professional/expert-articles/6261/10-ways-exercise-helps-to-protect-your-heart/
[x] https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/cardiac-rehab/getting-physically-active/whats-the-link-between-physical-activity-and-health
[xi] https://www.healthline.com/health/heart-disease/exercise#How-Much-Is-Enough?
[xii] https://www.healthline.com/health/heart-disease/exercise#How-Much-Is-Enough?
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