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Exercise and the heart: What you should know
The benefits of exercise on the body are well known. Exercise also provides many benefits to heart health and may play an important role in the prevention of heart disease and stroke.
The American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes per week (30 minutes per day, 5 days per week) of moderate physical exercise to improve overall cardiovascular health. Another option is to do at least 25 minutes of vigorous cardiovascular exercise 3 days per week, for a total of 75 minutes per week of exercise.
One clear benefit of exercise is the potential for weight loss and maintenance. Overweight and obesity increase the risk for heart attack and stroke; however, losing weight can help reduce these risks.
In addition, exercise may help lower levels of cholesterol. Regardless of weight, cardiovascular exercise has been shown to increase high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or “good” cholesterol, while decreasing harmful triglycerides.
Another major benefit of exercise to heart health is a reduction in blood pressure. Strengthening the heart through regular physical activity enables the heart to pump more blood with less effort. When the heart does not have to work as hard to pump blood, the force exerted on the arteries is reduced, and this lowers blood pressure.
Regular physical exercise may result in a significant decrease in systolic blood pressure, which is the top number in a blood pressure reading. This reduction, on average, is 4 to 9 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg), which is equal to the decrease achieved by some blood pressure medications. In some cases, regular cardiovascular exercise is enough to decrease blood pressure without the need for medication, or to reduce the need for medication.
Even if blood pressure is within an ideal range (less than 120/80 mm Hg), regular exercise can prevent blood pressure from increasing as a person ages. It may take 1 to 3 months of regular exercise to see the benefits to blood pressure.
During exercise, the goal should be to reach a target heart rate. This number depends on age. For example, the American Heart Association calculates that a 20-year-old’s target heart rate is 100 to 170 beats per minute, while a 70-year-old’s target heart rate is 75 to 128 beats per minute. Once a person know their target heart rate, they should begin an exercise routine by aiming for the lower range of their target zone, and eventually work up to the higher range. By 6 months of exercise, the person may be able to work out comfortably at 85% of their maximum target heart rate.
Additional information can be found at these websites:
www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/exercise/art-20048389
www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-pressure/in-depth/high-blood-pressure/art-20045206
www.webmd.com/cholesterol-management/features/exercise-to-lower-cholesterol