NEWSKFM : How long does it take to improve heart health : You can know how much exercise you do every day. You can even track exactly how many steps you take each day. But have you ever counted how many hours you spend sitting? Most Americans spend most of their day sitting: at the computer, in front of the television and on the way to work.
All that sitting can have a negative impact on your heart health, even if you exercise every day. (How long does it take to improve heart health) “It’s common for us not to move much during the day and then try to compensate for that sedentary behavior with 45 minutes of exercise.
I’m guilty too,” says Michael Blaha, MP, MD.H., director of clinical research at the Johns Hopkins Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease. “But this short training time cannot compensate for a whole day of inactivity. We need exercise as well as activity.”
What’s the difference between exercise and activity?
Exercising and being active are two different things. The exercise describes a purposeful effort to get your heart rate up, strengthen your muscles, and increase flexibility. It’s a structured time that you spend focusing on your physical health. Activity, on the other hand, describes how much you move throughout the day.
For example, a sedentary person spends most of the day sitting.An active person engages in activities like walking, climbing stairs, standing, and moving around for most of the day—this may be from hard work or chasing children, or trying to walk or use a standing desk during meetings.
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While we’ve long known that making time to exercise and getting your heart rate up is a healthy habit, it’s also important to increase your activity level. The tendency to be inactive has been dubbed the “sedentary disease,” and research suggests that not getting enough exercise during the day can increase your risk of heart disease, diabetes and even cancer.
Do normal-weight people need to move more?
Being at your ideal weight is good for your health, Blaha says, but that’s not all. You can be skinny but not athletic. In fact, you can reach your ideal weight and still have high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or high blood sugar, which can increase your risk of heart attack, stroke, or diabetes. (How long does it take to improve heart health)
“Exercise and frequent exercise throughout the day is good for everyone, regardless of weight,” says Blaha. “Regular exercise is an important part of maintaining good heart health.”
How active do you need to be each day?
A healthy amount of exercise and activity is:
- At least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise three to five times a week
- Getting five minutes of movement every hour
- Walking 10,000 steps a day
“While I’m a big fan of the 10,000-steps-a-day goal, your goal shouldn’t necessarily be to do all those steps at once,” says Blaha. “The best way to spread out your activity throughout the day is to take steps every hour to reach your goal.” (How long does it take to improve heart health)
Activity trackers can be especially helpful in motivating you to exercise more. In addition to recording movements to show you how active you are, modern activity trackers can improve your heart health by alerting you when you’ve been sitting for too long.
“Ideally, you should both exercise and have a high level of daily activity,” Blaha recommends.”Research shows that one or the other doesn’t provide the same cardioprotective benefits as both,” advises Blaha.
How to tell if your workout is making your heart stronger :
Activities that used to take your breath away are no longer a problem. You trained (and succeeded) on the couch for that 5K. The handbags and bags you lug around every week no longer strain your back. When it comes to training, there is nothing more motivating than seeing results.
But even when you set your exercise goals and achieve them, you might be wondering if all that hard work is paying off in the form of a healthier heart.
And this is important: Heart disease is still the number one killer in the United States. More and more people develop risk factors such as high blood pressure at a young age. (How long does it take to improve heart health)
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How to give your heart the attention it deserves and track your progress.
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The best ways to work out your heart :
Here’s the bombshell: the best exercises for your core are the ones you stick to.
“The most important thing is to choose an activity that you enjoy,” says Kristin Traskie. He is the fitness and wellness program coordinator for Michigan State University’s Department of Health Promotion. “It makes you more likely to be consistent. Consistency is key.”
Any exercise that helps maintain a healthy weight or control blood pressure and cholesterol is good for the heart. Many activities fall into this bucket.
The two main types of exercise to improve heart health are:
Aerobic exercise : How long does it take to improve heart health.
Your heart is a muscle. So when you give your heart extra work, it gets stronger.
aerobic (or cardio) exercises are perfect for this. Train your heart to be more resilient. Over time, the heart’s arteries learn to relax, which lowers blood pressure.Also, the heart pumps blood better with each beat, so your resting heart rate doesn’t have to be as high. (How long does it take to improve heart health)
Federal guidelines recommend 150 to 300 minutes of moderate exercise (eg, brisk walking) per week or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous exercise (eg, running or swimming).
If you are just starting out, it may take some time. Do not worry. Take things slowly and work your way up.And don’t forget to choose exercises that you enjoy. Here are some other ideas to get you started:
- Dancing
- Jumping rope
- Climbing stairs
- Rowing
- Tennis
- Biking
Strength training : How long does it take to improve heart health.
Strength may not get your heart rate up as high or as consistently as it does in a Zumba class. But it’s still good for the heart.
In fact, building muscle can help reduce belly fat, increase good cholesterol, and lower bad cholesterol. These are all things that can reduce your risk of heart disease, says the American Heart Association (AHA).
Luckily, building strength doesn’t have to mean going to the gym or throwing weights in a CrossFit class.”There are many exercises you can do using just your body weight, household items, and even gardening and yard work,” says Dr. Cemal Özemek. He is a Clinical Exercise Physiologist and Director of Cardiac Rehabilitation at the University of Illinois at Chicago. (How long does it take to improve heart health)
Your Goal: Do strength training twice a week that targets all major muscle groups. An example program might include calf raises, sit-ups, planks, and push-ups.
Your resting heart rate : How long does it take to improve heart health.
How hard your heart is working when you’re not exercising is a good indication of how efficient it is.
A healthy resting heart rate for most adults is between 60 and 100 beats per minute, according to the AHA. As you get fitter, your resting heart rate will likely drop. (Professional athletes can have a heart rate of 30 to 40 beats per minute.)
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To check your pulse, check your pulse.How to find it around your neck: Place your index and middle finger on the side of your windpipe. To find it on the wrist: Touch your fingertips to the wrist bone where the hand meets the wrist. (How long does it take to improve heart health)
Once you feel your heart rate, count the number of beats in 15 seconds and then multiply that number by 4. A wearable fitness band or pulse oximeter can also measure your heart rate.
Your target heart rate : How long does it take to improve heart health.
So you measured your resting heart rate. But do you know what your heart rate should be during exercise?
Turns out it matters. Staying within your target training zone allows you to get the most out of your effort without overdoing it. (How long does it take to improve heart health)
Although it’s not an exact science, your maximum heart rate is approximately 220 minus your age.In general, your wrist can be as high. The closer you get to this maximum, the harder you work.
According to the AHA, a good target heart rate zone for exercise is:
You can also measure your heart rate immediately after exercise. The fitter you and your heart are, the faster your heart rate can return to near resting levels.
Your blood pressure : How long does it take to improve heart health.
When your heart is stronger, it’s easier to pump more blood. This puts less pressure on your arteries, which can lower your blood pressure. This makes resting blood pressure a great indicator of fitness.
Blood pressure should be measured at every doctor’s visit. You can also buy a home blood pressure monitor or use one at your pharmacy. (How long does it take to improve heart health)
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Your physical fitness : How long does it take to improve heart health.
If you’re ready to test your skills, try the fitness test.
gym-style tests may seem old-fashioned, but they’re actually a great tool for measuring fitness. In fact, some are eloquent enough to be used by scientists around the world.
You have many options. But easy requires climbing stairs.If you can walk up 4 flights of stairs in 1 minute, your heart is in great shape. That’s what the scientists of the European Society of Cardiology say. As you get in shape, you’ll get faster and your workouts will be easier, says Ozemek. (How long does it take to improve heart health)
Next up is the 1-mile walk test at Rockport. “In this test, you try to run a 1 mile as fast as you can, which can be done on a treadmill or outdoors,” says Traskie.”Once you’ve completed the 1-mile walk, you’ll record your heart rate [beats per minute] and time per mile. These results can then be entered into Rockport’s 1-Mile Walk Calculator to see Which classification you belong to.Based on your age and gender
No matter where you start, you know that fitness is a journey.Every time you lace up your hiking boots, grab the dumbbells or compete one-on-one , do something good for your heart Find a form of exercise that fuels your passion and watch your numbers improve.
3 Kinds of Exercise That Boost Heart Health :
How long does it take to improve heart health : Physical activity is an important step towards good heart health. It is one of the most effective ways to strengthen heart muscle, control weight and prevent damage to arteries caused by high cholesterol, high blood sugar and high blood pressure, which can lead to heart attack or stroke. (How long does it take to improve heart health)
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It is also true that optimal physical fitness requires different types of exercise. “Aerobic and resistance training are very important for heart health,” says Kerry J. Stewart, physiologist at Johns Hopkins, ed.D. “Although flexibility does not directly affect heart health, it is important because it provides a good foundation for performing aerobic and strength-training exercises more effectively.”
Here are the benefits of different types of exercise. (How long does it take to improve heart health)
Aerobic Exercise : How long does it take to improve heart health.
What it does: Aerobic exercise improves blood flow, which leads to lower blood pressure and heart rate, Stewart says. It also increases overall aerobic capacity, as measured by a treadmill test, for example, and improves cardiac output (how the heart pumps). Aerobic exercise also reduces your risk of type 2 diabetes and helps control your blood sugar if you already have diabetes.
How much: Ideally at least 30 minutes a day, at least five days a week.
Examples: brisk walking, running, swimming, biking, tennis, and skipping.Heart-pounding aerobic exercise is the kind of exercise doctors think of, and recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate activity per week. (How long does it take to improve heart health)
Resistance Training (Strength Work)
How long does it take to improve heart health : What it does: Resistance training has a more specific effect on body composition, Stewart says. For people who have a lot of body fat (including a bloated stomach, which is a risk factor for heart disease), it can help reduce body fat and build more muscle mass.
Research shows that a combination of aerobic exercise and resistance exercise can help increase HDL (good) cholesterol and lower LDL (bad) cholesterol. How much: At least two non-consecutive days of strength training per week is a good rule of thumb, according to the American College of Sports Medicine. (How long does it take to improve heart health)
Examples: Training with free weights (such as dumbbells, dumbbells, or dumbbells), on exercise machines, with resistance bands, or through body resistance exercises such as push-ups, sit-ups, and pull-ups.
Stretching, Flexibility and Balance : How long does it take to improve heart health.
What They Do: Like stretching, flexibility training doesn’t directly contribute to heart health. What they do benefits musculoskeletal health, keeping you flexible and free from joint pain, cramps, and other muscle problems. That flexibility is key to being able to maintain aerobic exercise and resistance training, Stewart says.
“If you have a good musculoskeletal system, you can do exercises to support your heart,” she says. As a bonus, flexibility and balance exercises help maintain stability and prevent falls, which can cause injuries that limit other types of exercise.
How much: Daily and before and after other exercises.
Examples: Your doctor can recommend basic stretching exercises that you can do at home, or you can find DVDs or YouTube videos to follow (although ask your doctor if you have concerns about exercise intensity). Tai chi and yoga also enhance these skills, and classes are available in many communities. (How long does it take to improve heart health)
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