How Exercise Can Save Your Heart
Updated September 21, 2014.
Written or reviewed by a board-certified physician. See About.com's Medical Review Board.
Getting regular exercise is very important to your heart health, whether you are currently healthy, or already have a heart condition. Fortunately, getting "enough" exercise, and getting it safely, can be relatively easy to do for most people. These articles will tell you what you need to know about getting the right amount of exercise for your heart.
Why Is Exercise So Beneficial?
Regular exercise does a lot more than merely strengthen the heart.Regular exercise can improve the function of your musculoskeletal system, your cardiovascular system, your respiratory system, your metabolism, and even your brain. And as a result, exercise can help you live longer, remain vigorous well into your old age, and to be more productive.
Heart Healthy Exercise Guidelines
Reaping the rewards of regular exercise does not require you to completely change your lifestyle, or neglect your work or your family. In fact, you can gain most of the benefits of exercise with relatively small changes in your daily routine.How Can I Begin An Exercise Program?
The hardest part about regular exercise is beginning it. It is easy to become bored if you start too slowly, or to become injured if you start too quickly. Fortunately, About.com's Exercise Guide has some very helpful information that will help you begin your exercise in a way that is safe and helps to maintains your interest.What About Exercise After A Heart Attack?
Exercise is not only okay after a heart attack, it is necessary. Studies show that heart attack survivors who participate in regular exercise have a significantly lower risk of mortality, and a lower risk of recurrent heart attacks.After a heart attack, it is natural to wonder when it is safe to resume sexual activity (which turns out to be a favorite form of "exercise" for many). Fortunately, the answer is usually pretty straightforward.How Should Young Athletes Be Screened for Heart Disease?
Sudden death in apparently healthy young athletes is a rare but tragic event. Most of these sudden deaths are due to underlying heart conditions that were undiagnosed prior to the fatal event. For this reason, some experts have advocated screening young people for heart disease before they participate in athletic activities. But because these heart conditions are relatively uncommon, and because screening can be expensive, how and when to do such screening has been a controversial question.Exercise Recommendations For Specific Cardiac Conditions
If you have heart disease, regular exercise is as important -- and likely more important -- than it is for a person without heart disease. However, you may need to pay attention to guidelines designed for your specific type of cardiac condition.Sources:
Fletcher, GF. How to implement physical activity in primary and secondary prevention. A Statement for Healthcare Professionals from the Task Force on Risk Reduction, American Heart Association. Circulation 1997; 96:355.
LaMonte, MJ, Eisenman, PA, Adams, TD, et al. Cardiorespiratory fitness and coronary heart disease risk factors: the LDS hospital fitness institute cohort. Circulation 2000; 102:1623.
Shephard, RJ, Balady, GJ. Exercise as cardiovascular therapy. Circulation 1999; 99:963.
Thompson, PD, Buchner, D, Pina, IL. Exercise and physical activity in the prevention and treatment of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease: a statement from the Council on Clinical Cardiology (Subcommittee on Exercise, Rehabilitation, and Prevention) and the Council on Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Metabolism (Subcommittee on Physical Activity). Circulation 2003; 107:3109.
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