Heart Benefits of Moving More

Your heart works hard for you – beating 100,000 times a day and pumping nearly 2,000 gallons of blood. But like any muscle, your heart needs regular activity to stay strong and healthy. Being inactive – sitting too much or skipping regular exercise – can take a toll on your heart.

The good news? Staying active is a proven way to protect your heart and overall health, at any age.

1. It doesn’t have to be hard. Even short bursts of 10 to 15 minutes of physical activity count.
2. It’s never too late to get moving.
3. Most people, including those who’ve had a heart attack, stroke, or heart failure, can safely benefit from being active. Talk with your care team so you feel confident about exercising.

Here’s how your heart benefits when you move more.

Regular physical activity can help ... 

1. Strengthen your heart and improve circulation (blood flow throughout your body).
   When you’re active, your heart doesn’t have to work as hard to pump blood. Exercise helps your heart pump better to deliver oxygen-rich blood throughout your body, lowers your resting heart rate, and keeps your arteries flexible so blood can flow easily. There is some research to show it may also keep your heart muscle young too!
   
   Even 5-10 minutes of brisk walking a day builds your endurance so you can stay active for longer periods of time and push yourself more.
   
   
2. Lower blood pressure and improve cholesterol.
   Lifestyle change, including moving more, is usually the first go-to when trying to lower high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Regular exercise helps keep blood pressure within a healthy range and lower it if it’s too high. Among people with high blood pressure, exercise can lower systolic blood pressure (the top number) by as much as some medicines. Both cardio (aerobic exercise) and resistance training can help the heart by also lowering blood pressure and blood sugar.
   
   Exercise improves cholesterol numbers too. It can also help prevent arteries from narrowing or stiffening, lessening the strain on your heart.
   
   
3. Reduce your risk of heart disease.
   Studies show adults who are active are up to 40% less likely to develop heart disease or stroke.
   
   
4. You live longer and cut your risk of heart attack or stroke.
   Being active is linked to a 20-40% lower risk of having a heart event and a 20-30% lower risk of dying earlier than expected.
   
   
5. Get to and maintain a healthy body weight and helps control blood sugar. 
   Exercise helps you manage weight and blood sugar – both are important for preventing diabetes and heart disease. Extra weight, especially around your waist, makes your heart work harder and has been linked to inflammation, diabetes, stroke, and other health issues.
   
   
6. You feel happier, more focused, and have more energy and sleep better. 
   Exercise releases feel-good hormones that lower stress and relax blood vessels. Staying physically active can also improve your mood, increase your energy, promote sleep, and lessen depression and anxiety, which are all important for heart health and mental health too!
   
   
7. Help the heart heal and recover after injury. 
   Among people recovering from a heart attack, cardiac rehab programs that include supervised activity can reduce the chance of dying by over 30% . For those with heart failure, exercise improves how active someone can be (exercise capacity), lowers hospitalizations, and strengthens the heart.
   
   Emerging research show that regular physical activity can “remodel” or reshape the heart in healthy ways , lower inflammation, and keep stress hormones in check – all of which can protect your heart and blood vessels.
   

Added Health Benefits

In addition to the benefits for your heart health, moving more can help:

• Keep stress levels in check. It improves mood and lowers the risk of depression by boosting “feel-good” hormones called endorphins.
• Promote sleep, which is when the body repairs itself. Disrupted or too little sleep has been linked to heart disease and events.
• Improve sex drive.
• Build lean muscle mass, which helps you burn calories even when you’re not exercising.
• Improve balance and prevents falls, especially among older people.
• Lower blood sugar levels, which helps reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.
• Prevent osteoporosis and arthritis.
• Prevent some types of cancer, and may improve the body’s response to cancer treatments.
• Keep the mind sharp and ward off dementia, or at least delay its onset.
• You build a healthier lifestyle overall. Research shows that people who exercise regularly are less likely to smoke and tend to choose healthier food options.

 Tip:

• Make it a goal to move more and sit less. Every step can benefit your heart and health.
• Find activities you enjoy and fit your life. Mix cardio (a fast walk, bike ride, swim, housework) with muscle-strengthening activities to get the most benefit.