Download Exercising for Heart Health: The Power of Regular Physical Activity and more Lecture notes Physical Activity and Sport Sciences in PDF only on Docsity! Exercising Like Your Life Depends on It Activity is a key defense against a heart attack—one of the greatest risks of diabetes Having diabetes boosts your risk of a heart attack. Diabetes and heart disease have some of the same risk factors. These include high blood pressure and low HDL (“good”) cholesterol. Yet, there is also good news. Exercise can help your heart even if you’ve had a heart attack in the past. Many Benefits There is no magic bullet to prevent heart disease. But, exercise is the next best thing. Here are some ways that regular exercise improves heart health: • It lowers blood pressure. • It raises levels of HDL (“good”) cholesterol. • It cuts LDL (“bad”) cholesterol. • It brings down levels of blood fats (“triglycerides”). • It reduces inflammation. This process plays a role in both heart disease and stroke. • It aids in weight control. • It battles belly fat. • It boosts mood. People who have diabetes are more likely to be depressed. So are those who have had a heart attack. If you already have heart disease, exercise has extra benefits: • It helps prevent future heart problems. • It helps cut back on pain and discomfort from hardening of the arteries. • It even helps you to live longer. Think of exercise as a free magic pill. And all of the side effects are good for you! Getting Started You may be able to start moderate exercise with just your doctor’s OK. This is likely true if you've never: • suffered a heart attack or stroke • had heart surgery • had symptoms of heart disease, like chest pain But if you want to do more intense exercise, you should have an exercise stress test first. (Read more at: http://www.onetouch.com/articles/healthyexercise.) When you exercise, your heart should beat at a certain rate. This is called your target heart rate. Here’s how to figure it out: • Estimate your maximum heart rate. To do this, subtract your age from 220. A 55-year-old person would have an estimated maximum heart rate of 165 beats per minute (BPM). • Multiply your maximum heart rate by 0.65. This is the low end of your target heart rate (Ex. 165 x 0.65 = 107 BPM). • Multiply your maximum heart rate by 0.80. This is the high end of your target heart rate (Ex. 165 x 0.80 = 132 BPM). • So, a 55-year-old would have a target heart rate of 107 to 132 BPM. • It’s easy to find your BPM. Just take your pulse for 10 seconds. Then multiply by 6. How do you know if you are working hard enough? How can you tell if you are working too hard? Try the “talk test.” While exercising, you should be able to talk with ease. But, you should not be able to belt out a song. Moderate exercise is just fine for most people. Vigorous exercise, such as running, can make you a better athlete. But, it can also raise the risks of heart attack and injury.
