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Give your heart a workout.


The greatest thing you can do for your heart is to exercise regularly. Regular exercise lengthens your lifespan and lowers your risk of developing heart disease. 

You do not need to work out for hours every day. to reap the rewards. Even 30 minutes a day of physical activity can help your heart. 

Before beginning an exercise program, discuss your health status with your doctor if you have diabetes or heart problems. 


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The Benefits of Exercise


Exercise has many advantages for your heart. 

Calories are burned. This can assist you in shedding additional kilos (pounds) or maintaining a healthy weight. A significant risk factor for heart disease is being overweight. 

• Blood pressure is reduced. Blood pressure can be lowered by engaging in moderate aerobic exercise, 30 to 60 minutes most days of the week. Another important risk factor for heart disease is high blood pressure. 

• Lessens tension. Regular exercise has been shown to reduce stress. If stress directly contributes to heart disease, experts are not sure. However, it might increase the risk of other causes. 

It reduces cholesterol. Your LDL can drop with exercise ("bad" cholesterol level). A significant risk factor is a high LDL level for heart disease.



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The Best Heart-Healthy Activities 


Any type of exercise can be healthy for your body if done correctly. But the healthiest form of exercise for your heart is aerobic exercise. Any workout that uses your body's major muscles and causes your heart to beat more quickly is considered an aerobic activity. 

Experts advise obtaining at least 30 minutes of moderate aerobic activity most days to improve your heart. Each week, this takes up around 2.5 hours. This can also be divided into a few daily sessions of 10 or 15 minutes each. Among the moderate aerobic exercises are: 


• Level ground while hiking 


• Cycling at speeds under 10 mph 


• Light walking (about 3.5 mph) 


• Golf (not using a cart) 


• Skiing downhill 


• Tennis (doubles) 


• Softball 


• Swimming 


• Gardening 


• Simple yardwork

Consider including some arduous exercise in your weekly schedule for even more excellent heart benefits. Intensify your workout for at least 75 minutes. Workout per week if that's all you do. Among the vigorous aerobic workouts are: • Vigorous walking (about 4.5 mph) 

• Cycling at a speed of over 10 mph. 


• Climbing a hill 


> Skiing cross-country 


• Climbing stairs 


• Soccer 


• Jogging 


Rope jumping 


Tennis (singles) 


Basketball 


Prolonged yardwork 


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Keep Track of Your Workout Intensity 


Give attention to how your body feels as you exercise to determine whether your activity is moderate or vigorous. 


The Borg Scale for Rating Perceived Exertion places exertion on a scale from 6 to 20. Pick the number that most accurately reflects your working hard while exercising.

Very little effort, Extremely light Very light, such as leisurely walking or simple tasks Light 

Hard enough to exert some effort but not to cause you to become breathless Hard 

Very difficult; you must exert a lot of effort 

 Very challenging, the most intense degree of exercise you can maintain 

 Maximum effort 

The typical age range for moderate exercise is 12 to 14. Intense activity scores are typically a 15 or above. You can change the intensity of your exercise by moving more slowly or more quickly. 


Monitor Your Desired Heart Rate

Track your goal heart rate, which is between 50% and 85% of your maximum heart rate, depending on your age, to observe the immediate effects of exercise on your heart. The most advantageous range for your heart is this one. 

Take a quick pause from exercise to check your pulse to determine your desired heart rate. Put your index and middle fingers underneath the base of your thumb on the inside of your opposite wrist to check your pulse there. Put your index and middle fingers on either side of your Adam's apple to check your neck pulse. 


• For 10 seconds, tally the number of heartbeats you experience.

This number can be multiplied by six to obtain the beats per minute. 


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Find your goal heart rate and age: 


• 100 to 170 beats per minute; 20 years old 


• 95 to 162 beats per minute; 30 years old 


• 93 to 157 beats per minute if you are 35 years old. 


• 90 to 153 beats per minute if you are 40 years old. 


• 88 to 149 beats per minute at age 45 


• 85 to 145 beats per minute if you are 50 years old. 


• 83 to 140 beats per minute at age 55 


• 80 to 136 beats per minute if you are 60 years old. 


• 78 to 132 beats per minute for 65-year-olds. 


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From 75 to 128 beats per minute when you are 70 years old.


Deduct your age from 220 to get a rough idea of your maximum heart rate. 

Your ideal heart rate for moderate-intensity exercise should range from 50% to 70% of your maximum heart rate. 


Your ideal heart rate for intense activity should range from 70% to 85% of your maximum heart rate. 


When you begin to exercise, try to reach the lower age-appropriate number. You can gradually work your way up to a higher number as you get more fit. 


You might not be working out hard enough to help your heart if your heart rate is lower than your desired heart rate. You can work out too hard if your heart rate exceeds your aim.

Some blood pressure medications can decrease your target heart rate. Ask your doctor what blood pressure range is healthy for you if you take medication for high blood pressure. 

When to Contact a Physician 

Before beginning any new activity, you should check with your provider if it has been a while since you were active. To make sure that you are in good enough health to exercise, ask your doctor if you have any of the following: 


• Blood pressure problems 


• Diabetes 


• A cardiac problem 


• An additional health issue 



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Different Names 


Exercise for heart health; exercise for CAD prevention; Exercise can prevent heart disease.