HOW MOVING YOUR BODY CAN HELP YOUR HEART

Your heart is a muscle. So just like the rest of your body, exercise makes it stronger. Exercise can lower the risk of heart disease in healthy people. For patients with heart disease, it can lower their risk of dying.

Exercise helps by:

  • Lowering your risk of developing diabetes and high blood pressure
  • Improving your blood sugar tolerance if you have diabetes
  • Helping to control high blood pressure
  • Improving your blood lipids, such as cholesterol
  • Supporting your efforts to quit smoking
  • Controlling your weight and body fat

Exercise and heart disease aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive, but it’s important to know the right kind of exercise for your specific situation.

large red quotation marks

The first thing to do before you start any exercise routine is to talk to your doctor.

Once you’ve got the go-ahead, these exercise basics can help you put together a plan that works for you.

Know that exercise and heart health doesn’t mean you have to do the same routine every day. Your body appreciates variety! You might go on a brisk walk one day in the fresh air, take in a yoga class the next day, go on a bike ride the next day, and so on. But no matter what you do, be sure to stretch before and after.

Now that you know all the good things exercise can do for your heart, it’s time to get moving!