The Heart Of The Matter: Exercise Strategies To Support Heart Health

By now, you likely know that regular, daily movement is critical for healthy aging. You also likely know that most major health and medical organizations recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity each week to support healthy aging, including a healthy heart. The American College of Cardiology, among other groups, has emphasized the importance of staying active in protecting yourself against disease, including heart attacks, stroke, and heart failure. Just like all muscles in your body, the heart needs ongoing activity to sustain its 100,000 beats per day and pump nearly 2,000 gallons of blood each day. In fact, a new study even supports the safety and value of returning to physical activity and regular movement early after a heart attack. In a recent presentation to the European Association of Preventive Cardiology, researchers found that being physically active after hospital discharge was not associated with an increase in subsequent cardiac events and noted that “physical activity is essential to prevent disease progression in patients after a myocardial infarction (MI).”

However, the fact of the matter is that less than ½ of US adults achieve the basic recommendation of exercise/physical movement for 150 minutes per week. Not only does that suggest that the majority of us are falling short on minimum moving requirements for healthy aging, but it stands in stark contrast to new research findings that suggest a much more robust exercise schedule is valuable for optimal heart health. According to a new observational study published in The British Journal of Sports Medicine, adults should ideally engage in 560-610 minutes per week of moderate to vigorous physical activity in order to achieve a substantial reduction in the risk of heart attacks and stroke. What this means is a 3-4x higher level of physical activity than the current health advice of 150 minutes per week. The study recommendations suggest that those who are less fit do even slightly more than the 600 minutes per week for the best cardiovascular benefits. This study involved over 17,000 participants, with an average age of 57.

Engaging in this more robust level of exercise can lead to a reduction of heart risks by more than 30%. What these new recommendations add up to is about 10 hours of exercise over 7 days, which averages out to about 1 hour and 25 minutes per day. What counts as moderate-to-vigorous exercise? Everything from swimming to brisk walking, bicycling, water aerobics, or hiking. While the current recommendation of 150 minutes a week is a solid baseline for a healthier heart, more activity is going to get you better results and lower heart disease risk. The 150 minutes is considered a minimum, not a ceiling for exercise. Whether this more robust level of activity is achievable or sustainable, however, is another question. For example, in the study itself, only 12% of the study participants were able to achieve this level of physical activity. Moreover, for older adults, those with existing heart disease or those who are largely inactive, 600 minutes per week is likely unrealistic and perhaps unsafe unless you seek medical guidance from your own physician. Nonetheless, the study underscores the importance of movement, regardless of how much you can undertake, in order to support and maintain your heart health. 

Plus, cardiorespiratory fitness is a good predictor of your cardiovascular health and risk for such events as a heart attack or stroke. Exercise and physical activity can support and improve your cardiorespiratory fitness. To determine how well you’re doing, you are encouraged to measure your VO2 max, which measures how efficiently your heart, lungs, and muscles are delivering and using oxygen. To learn more about your VO2 max and how it can be measured to determine your level of cardiorespiratory fitness, get ready to walk a mile and click here.  

Even if you’re not able to achieve 600 minutes of exercise per week, there are plenty of exercises and physical activities that can support and improve your heart health. For example, recent research published in PLOS Global Public Health found an association between yoga and blood pressure, especially in people who are overweight or obese. Because yoga involves breathwork, movement, and mindful relaxation, it can be a valuable tool to accompany your other exercises in bringing down blood pressure, which is valuable for lowering your cardiovascular risk. Walking can also be valuable in lowering your heart disease risk, with estimates that as little as 21 minutes a day of brisk walking can lower your heart disease risk by 30%. Finally, if you enjoy swinging a kettlebell, you’re in luck, as kettlebell swings are often done in spurts of high intensity and can not only improve your cardiovascular functioning but also provide a valuable strength training strategy, forcing your heart to work harder and better to circulate blood throughout your body. If you’re looking to juice up your level of intensity and stamina, you may also want to take a look at a new study that found upbeat, personalized music selections played while working out can boost your workout endurance by 20%. So pump up the volume, put on your headphones, and read more here.