HOW EXERCISE BENEFITS YOUR HEART HEALTH
By Kathleen Mc Quaide-Little (Sports Scientist and Marketing and Media Manager, SSISA)
September brings with it positive hints of spring, with luscious fresh green vegetation, longer days and warmer weather. We contemplate shedding our “winter layers” attained through months of hibernation; we look forward to getting more active and emerging in summer, as fitter, healthier people! September is also Heart Month, which is ideal timing, since exercise is one of the best ways of shaping up your cardiovascular (heart) fitness.
You might ask - is being inactive really so bad for you?
YES, inactivity is one of the four major risk factors for heart disease, on a par with smoking, unhealthy cholesterol and even high blood pressure.
Scientific research shows that compared to physically active people, inactive people have up to twice the risk of suffering from a heart attack and three times the chance of dying immediately after such an attack.
Physical activity, on the other hand, can prevent or diminish the risk of developing chronic diseases of lifestyle (such as heart disease), thereby increasing longevity and improving your quality of life.
Just in case you need further convincing, here is how exercise actually helps with heart health:
Stronger heart
Like all muscles, the heart becomes stronger and larger as a result of exercise, so it can pump more blood around the body with every beat. The resting heart rate of those who exercise is also lower, because less effort is needed to pump blood around the body.
Lower risk of coronary heart disease
People who maintain an active lifestyle (equivalent to about 15km of walking a week), have a 45% lower risk of developing coronary heart disease than sedentary people
For the greatest protection against coronary artery disease, one would need to burn about 250 calories a day (the equivalent of about 45 minutes of brisk walking or 25 minutes of jogging, which is about 30km on foot per week).
Decreased risk of high blood pressure
Sedentary people have a 35% greater risk of developing hypertension (high blood pressure) than active people do. Also, as you get older, you are at greater risk of a raised blood pressure. Regular exercise helps to keep arteries elastic, which in turn keeps the blood flowing and blood pressure low. Frequent, moderate intensity exercise is probably the best way to lower your blood pressure from an exercise perspective.
Improved blood lipid profile (cholesterol and triglycerides)
Cholesterol: Cholesterol has many components, the two main ones being HDL (good cholesterol) and LDL (bad cholesterol). Regular aerobic exercises such as brisk walking, jogging, swimming, biking, aerobics and racquet sports are the best forms of exercise for lowering LDL somewhat and raising HDL cholesterol levels by as much as 20%. Resistance training can also help with lowering LDL.
Triglycerides: High levels of these fats in the blood are a health risk. Regular exercise lowers triglycerides
Stroke
The role of exercise in stroke prevention is uncertain, but many studies have shown a decreased risk of stroke in active subjects.
Heart Failure
Exercise (under medical supervision), even in patients who have suffered from heart failure, has proved to be helpful and healthful.
Improved insulin sensitivity
Both weight loss and regular exercise increase insulin sensitivity, which makes a person less likely to suffer from Type 2 Diabetes. Diabetics have a much greater risk of developing heart disease due to fat build-up in the arteries, as well as hardening of the arteries.
Improved long-term weight control
Exercise raises your metabolic rate (the rate at which you burn energy), so less energy is stored as fat. Unlike restricting your diet, which causes a loss of water, muscle and fat, exercise causes a loss of body fat (especially in the abdominal region) and increases your muscle mass (lean tissue), which in turn boosts your metabolic rate.
Improved psychological well-being
Regular exercise helps to prevent excess stress, anxiety and depression, which is crucial for one’s mental well-being, as well as being important for optimal heart health. It also improves general well-being, vigour and vitality and decreases confusion, lethargy, anxiety and anger.
Exercise helps reverse some of the effects of smoking.
Well, if this isn’t reason enough to throw off that duvet or jump off that ever-so comfy couch and get moving, then probably NOTHING will do it.
MAKE YOUR HEART HAPPY THIS SEPTEMBER!
AS AN INDIVIDUAL YOU DON'T GET THE CHANCE TO REPLACE YOUR LIMBS (BODY PARTS) LIKE CARS.
