Our heart is a muscular organ that needs physical activity to keep it strong and healthy. Besides eating a heart-healthy diet, exercise is one of the most effective ways to ward off risk factors that lead to heart disease.
And not all exercise is the same when it comes to keeping the heart strong. That’s why the team at spermidineLIFE® is providing you with the information you need on choosing the right cardio to keep your heart pumping.
Our body does need different types of exercise for overall fitness. But aerobic exercise and resistance training are the top ones for heart health (1). Stretching is good too for flexibility and balance, but doesn’t contribute directly to heart health.
Aerobic Exercise
This type of exercise trumps others when it comes to heart health. It improves circulation in the body which results in lower blood pressure and heart rate. It also helps how well your heart pumps, known as cardiac output. Aerobic exercise also reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes or can help control it if you’ve already been diagnosed with diabetes.
The ultimate goal is 30 minutes a day, preferably at least five days a week. It may sound like a lot, but there are many different types of aerobic exercise you can do including:
- Brisk walking
- Running
- Swimming
- Cycling
- Jumping rope
- Playing tennis or other sports
How Much Cardio Should You Do A Day For Your Heart?
So we mentioned the goal is 30 minutes a day for at least five days a week. But even doing as little as 15 minutes a day can make a huge difference in your heart’s health. It’s very important to make sure you exercise regularly.
There are so many benefits of exercise on the heart, but unfortunately most Americans aren’t physically active on a daily basis. A lot of people think exercise means you need to be sweating profusely with your heart pounding heavily. But that just isn’t true.
That type of exercise may make more sense if you are training for some kind of athletic event. But for just staying healthy, it actually takes very little effort to see huge benefits. Start by aiming for 15 minutes a day. Remember, even just brisk walking counts. So take your child or your dog and get outside and start moving!
How To Improve Heart Health With Exercise
Exercising can improve your heart health in a number of ways. And for some heart conditions, exercise can be as powerful as some medications. Here are some ways exercise helps your heart.
Lower Blood Pressure
Exercise can slow the heart rate and lower blood pressure at rest and during exercise. High blood pressure is one of the biggest risk factors for heart disease.
Controls Weight
Exercise along with a healthy diet, is crucial for losing weight and staying at a healthy weight. Being overweight stresses the heart and is a big risk factor for heart disease. This is partly because being overweight can lead to other heart issues like high blood pressure and cholesterol.
Keeps Muscles Strong
Exercise helps improve the muscles’ ability to draw oxygen from the circulating blood. This reduces the need for the heart to work harder by pumping more blood to the muscles.
Exercise Can Help You Stop Smoking
Smokers likely quit as they become more fit and those who exercise are more likely to never start smoking in the first place. Smoking is one of the biggest risk factors for heart disease because it damages the structure and function of blood vessels.
Exercise Lowers Stress
The hormones that come with being stressed can put an extra burden on the heart. And exercise is a way to help you relax.
Exercise Reduces Inflammation
Inflammation is a risk factor for many diseases affecting the heart. But with regular exercise, inflammation is reduced.
How Does Exercise Prevent Heart Disease?
Just like any muscle, the heart needs exercise to stay strong. Muscles that aren’t used begin to weaken and atrophy. The heart needs to keep going to pump blood throughout the body and continue to operate without strain (2).
Exercising regularly also helps to keep the arteries and blood vessels flexible, which means good blood flow and a healthy blood pressure reading.
Being sedentary is one of the top risk factors for heart disease and are right up there along with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking and obesity. People who don’t exercise regularly often are at a higher risk of a heart attack.
Why Is It Important For Older Adults To Exercise?
Regular physical activity benefits people not just physically, but also mentally. This can help you maintain your independence as you get older. It’s easy to just stop moving as we get older. Our bodies start to ache and we realize we may not be able to do things as fast as we used to. But it’s important to not give up. This is when it’s more important to get up and start moving. And here’s why.
Prevent Disease
Staying physically active can really help prevent diseases like heart disease or diabetes. Plus it improves the body’s immune system, which is important as you age.
Better Mental Health
Exercising produces endorphins, which is the “feel good” hormone. This not only helps you feel happier, but is also a stress reliever. Exercising also helps you sleep better. Older adults often suffer from irregular sleep patterns and insomnia.
Fall Risk Decreases
Older adults are more at risk of falling and when they do fall, they often take a lot longer to recover from falls. Exercise helps improve strength and flexibility, which in turn helps balance and coordination.
Helps Provide Socializing
No matter what type of exercise you choose, it can help you maintain strong social ties. This helps you avoid feeling lonely or depressed. Even just walking around your neighborhood can help.
Better Cognitive Function
Older adults who exercise often are at a lower risk of dementia.
Supplements Can Help
Supplements can combine with exercise and eating right for a heart-healthy lifestyle. Spermidine is a supplement to consider because of its connection with cell renewal. Please note, we cannot claim to cure any illnesses or diseases.
Our body is made up of cells that overtime can become damaged. Spermidine triggers the body’s own autophagy process which helps recycle dysfunctional cell components. This renews cellular function.
Spermidine is found in many different types of foods. But unfortunately we rarely eat enough to capture what our body needs especially as we age and our bodies need more. That is why supplementing may be necessary. Health and longevity begins at the cellular level.
