Exercise is a core component of heart health. Ideally, exercise should be a part of your life, everyday.
Resources
ACC Physical Activity Recommendations.
Biking is a great, low-impact way to get aerobic exercise.
Walking is a great way to exercise. A goal of 10,000 steps per day should be your goal. Challenge yourself!!
Weight training is important for maintenance of muscle strength and bone health.
Tai Chi is an ancient Chinese tradition that has now been shown to be a great, noncompetitive, self-paced form of purposeful movements that is a great type of exercise and stress relief.
Running/Jogging is great for aerobic exercise and can also be a great way to get outside and be at one with nature.
Swimming is a wonderful, no-impact form of excellent aerobic physical activity.
Did you know that regular physical exercise can improve you general cardiovascular health and help you to live a longer life? In 2008, the Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee issued a report recommending that Americans get a minimum of 150 minutes/week of moderate intensity exercise (brisk walking, water aerobics or general gardening) or 75 minutes/week of vigorous intensity exercise (running/jogging, higher intensity bicycling, heavy gardening). Prior literature has even shown that standing for more than 2 hours per day can decrease your risk of cardiovascular disease by as much as 10%. Several studies have now demonstrated that regular exercise can lower triglycerides, raise HDL cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, improve glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity, reduce body weight, and decrease various inflammatory markers. For more information, you can check out this great review on the general benefits of physical activity and exercise training: (Eijsvogels TMH et al. Exercise at the Extremes. JACC 2016;67:316-29.)