Time to be Active

July 13, 2023 at 8:56 am

Regular physical activity is a powerful way to reduce your risk of heart disease. Physical activity directly helps prevent heart problems. Staying active also helps prevent and control high blood pressure, keep cholesterol levels healthy, and prevent and control diabetes. Plus, regular physical activity is a great way to help take off extra pounds—and keep them off.

Regular physical activity has a host of other health benefits. It may help prevent cancers of the breast, uterus, and colon. Staying active also strengthens the lungs, tones the muscles, keeps the joints in good condition, improves balance, and may slow bone loss. It also helps many people sleep better, feel less depressed, cope better with stress and anxiety, and generally feel more relaxed and energetic.

You can benefit from physical activity at any age. In fact, staying active can help prevent, delay, or improve many age-related health problems. As you grow older, weightbearing activities can be particularly helpful for strengthening bones and muscles, improving balance, and lowering the risk for serious falls. Good weightbearing activities include carrying groceries, walking, jogging, and lifting weights. (Start with 1- to 3-pound hand weights and gradually progress to heavier weights.)

Activities that promote balance and flexibility are also important. Practices such as Tai Chi and yoga can improve both balance and flexibility and can be done alternately with heart healthy physical activities. Check with your health insurance plan, local recreation center, YWCA or YMCA, or adult education program for low-cost classes in your area.

A Little Activity Goes a Long Way

The good news is that to reap benefits from physical activity, you do not have to run a marathon—or anything close to it. To reduce the risk Your Guide to a Healthy Heart of disease, you only need to do about 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity on most, and preferably all, days of the
week. If you are trying to manage your weight and prevent gradual, unhealthy weight gain, try to boost that level to approximately 60 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity on most days of the week.

Brisk walking (3 to 4 miles per hour) is an easy way to help keep your heart healthy. One study, for example, showed that regular, brisk walking reduced the risk of heart attack by the same amount as more vigorous exercise, such as jogging. To make physical activity a pleasure rather than a chore, choose activities you enjoy. Ride a bike. Go hiking. Dance. Play ball. Swim. Keep doing physical tasks around the house and yard. Rake leaves. Climb stairs. Mulch your garden. Paint a room.

You can do an activity for 30 minutes at one time or choose shorter periods of at least 10 minutes each. For example, you could spend 10 minutes walking on your lunch break, another 10 minutes raking leaves in the backyard, and another 10 minutes lifting weights. The important thing is to total about 30 minutes of activity each day. (To avoid weight gain, try to total about 60 minutes per day.)

No Sweat!

Getting regular physical activity can be easy—especially if you take advantage of everyday opportunities to move around. For example:

Use stairs—both up and down—instead of elevators. Start with one flight of stairs and gradually build up to more.
Park a few blocks from the office or store and walk the rest of the way. If you take public transportation, get off a stop or two early and walk a few blocks.
Instead of eating that rich dessert or extra snack, take a brisk stroll around the neighborhood.
Do housework or yard work at a more vigorous pace.
When you travel, walk around the train station, bus station, or airport rather than sitting and waiting.
Keep moving while you watch TV. Lift hand weights, do some gentle yoga stretches, or pedal an exercise bike.
Spend less time watching TV and using the computer.

Safe Moves

Some people should get medical advice before starting regular physical activity. Check with your doctor if you:

Are over 50 years old and not used to moderately energetic activity.
Currently have heart trouble or have had a heart attack.
Have a parent or sibling who developed heart disease at an early age.
Have a chronic health problem, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, osteoporosis, or obesity.

Once you get started, keep these guidelines in mind:

Go slow

Before each activity session, allow a 5-minute period of slow-to-moderate movement to give your body a chance to limber up and get ready for more exercise. At the end of the warmup period, gradually increase your pace. Toward the end of your activity, take another 5 minutes to cool down at a slower, less energetic pace. It is best to wait until after your activity to do stretching exercises.

Listen to your body

A certain amount of stiffness is normal at first. But if you hurt a joint or pull a muscle, stop the activity for several days to avoid more serious injury. Rest and over-the-counter painkillers can heal most minor muscle and joint problems.

Check the weather report

Dress appropriately for hot, humid days and for cold days. In all weather, drink lots of water before, during, and after physical activity.

Pay attention to warning signals

While physical activity can strengthen your heart, some types of activity may worsen existing heart problems. Warning signals include sudden dizziness, cold sweat, paleness, fainting, or pain or pressure in your upper body just after doing a physical activity. If you notice any of these signs, call your doctor right away.

Use caution

If you are concerned about the safety of your surroundings, pair up with a friend for outdoor activities. Walk, bike, or jog during daylight hours.

Stay the course

Unless you have to stop your activity for a health reason, stick with it. If you want to give up because you think you are not going as fast or as far as you should, set smaller, short-term goals for yourself. If you find yourself becoming bored, try doing an activity with a friend. Or switch to another activity. The
tremendous health benefits of regular, moderate-intensity physical activity is well worth the effort.

What’s Your Excuse?

We all have reasons to stay inactive. But with a little thought and planning, you can overcome most obstacles to physical activity. For example:

“I don’t have time to exercise.”

While physical activity does take time, remember that you can reduce your heart disease risk by getting just 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most days of the week. Plus, you can save time by doubling up on some activities. For example, you can ride an exercise bike or use hand weights while watching TV. Or you can transform some of your everyday chores—like washing your car or walking the dog—into heart healthy activities by doing them more briskly than usual.

“I don’t like to exercise.”

You may have bad memories of doing sit-ups or running around the track in high school, forcing yourself through every sweating, panting moment. Now we know that you can get plenty of gain without pain. Activities you already do, such as gardening or walking, can improve your health. So just do more of the activities you like. If possible, get your friends or family members involved so that you can support each other.

“I don’t have the energy to be more active.”

Get active first—with brief periods of moderate-intensity physical activity—and watch your energy start to soar. Once you begin regular physical activity, you will almost certainly feel stronger and more vigorous. As you progress, daily tasks will seem easier.

“I want to exercise, but I keep forgetting!”

Leave your sneakers near the door to remind yourself to walk or bring a change of clothes to work and head straight for the gym, yoga class, or walking trail on the way home. Put a note on your calendar to remind yourself to exercise. While you are at it, get in the habit of adding more activity to your daily routine.

Move It and Lose It

Activity	Calories Burned Per Hour*
Walking, 2 mph	240
Walking, 3 mph	320
Walking, 4.5 mph	440
Bicycling, 6 mph	240
Bicycling, 12 mph	410
Tennis, singles	400
Swimming, 25 yards per minute	275
Swimming, 50 yards per minute	500
Hiking	408
Cross-country skiing	700
Jumping Rope	750
Jogging, 5.5 mph	740
Jogging, 7 mph	920

* For a healthy, 150-pound person. A lighter person burns fewer calories; a heavier person burns more.

Dr. Bobish

Dr. Bobish and her team’s goal is to help you reduce your risk of heart disease. Helping you to understand your risk factors and make healthful lifestyle changes.

Remember regardless of age or current state of health it is never too late to start protecting your heart. It is also never too soon and the sooner you act the better. Follow us on Facebook to see our latest post helping to keep you heart healthy. You can also explore all our articles that offer diet and exercise tips, recipes and information on procedures and heart disease.

Dr. Bobish and her team focus on preventative care and are here to support you. Alpine Cardiology provides patients with education as well as compassionate care and treatment. We are committed to keeping you healthy and heart smart! Request an appointment at 989-448-7002

Guide to a Healthy Heart

We are committed to keeping Northern Michigan healthy and heart-smart!

Over the next several months we will be publishing a series of articles that will become A Guide to a Healthy Heart. By breaking these guidelines into chapters we are able to offer more in depth information on the topics. Watch our Facebook page or website for the latest article.

Alpine Cardiology’s goal is to give you a better understanding of how to live a healthy lifestyle and to take care of your heart. To take the mystery out of what the tests are and what they mean. To encourage you to talk to your healthcare provider about your risk factors and how to reduce your risk. The more you know and understand the more likely you are to be successful in reducing risk and having a healthier lifestyle.

Links to published chapters are below if you would like to explore the guide more.