How To Exercise to Avoid Heart Disease.

Research shows you should exercise to avoid heart disease. But many people wonder whether they should exercise intensely or just of a long time. Well, any moderate physical activity will help prevent heart disease! Still, intense exercise seems more protective than moderate exercise.

In the October 23, 2002 issue of Journal of the American Medical Association Harvard University researchers reported the relationship between heart disease and exercise. The study included more than 40,000 men between the ages of 40 and 75.

Results indicate:

Men who run at 6 mph or faster at least one hour week exhibit 42% less heart disease than non runners.
Men who participated in weight training at least 30 minutes a week exhibited 23% less heart disease than men who did not weight train.
Men who walked at a rate of 3 mph or faster for at least 1/2 hour daily exhibited 18% less heart disease than other men. (This is at least 3 1/2 hours of walking a week.)

Walking at a pace of 2 mph or less has no effect on heart disease. This is too slow to help much. (It will burn some calories though. Plus, it will help you get fit enough to start walking at 3 mph. So, if this is all you can do, do it.)

What does this mean? To avoid heart disease, it's best to do a little intense exercise each week. Only 1 hour a week of running lowered heart disease a lot more than 3 1/2 hours a week of walking at 3 mph. Heck, 1/2 hour a week of weight training reduced heart disease more than 3 1/2 hours a week of walking at 3 mph. It looks like you should try to spend some time doing some intense exercise.

What if you can't do intense exercise? Walking is still and excellent exercise. You just need to walk every day.

What is the current standard recommendation?

The National Academy of Science (NAS) recommends physical activity to accumulate the equivalent of 1 hour of moderately brisk walking a day. They define moderately brisk as 4 mph. Walking back and forth to your car, taking the stairs and other activities count toward the hour; try to do these at a moderately brisk pace.

So, if all those things count, how much exercise do you need?

Well, you may, and likely do, accumulate some exercise during your daily activities. My guess, and it's a guess, is that most Americans with sedentary jobs, cars, dishwashers and other convenience appliances, don't accumulate 30 minutes of exercise walking up and down halls picking up faxes at work! We all probably need to intentionally exercise at least 30 minutes a day. That's 3.5 hours a week. So, take a walk, jog, swim, play tennis, lift weights, whatever. Just go out and do it.

To achieve the NAS goals, and also get some intensity, why don't you try "mixing it up". I do. Here's what I do.

I run 30 minutes twice a week,
I lift weights for 20 minutes 3 times a week and
I walk 2 1/2 hours.

(Boring you say. Well, what can I say? I don't like sports like golf, tennis or basket ball.)

Anyway, I intentionally exercise 4 1/2 hours a week.

I hope I accumulate the other 2 1/2 hours the NAS recommends going up and down the stairs and walking back and forth to my car! Maybe I do; maybe I don't. I'll never know; I'm just not going to get a pedometer to keep track of every single step I take during the day!

Be fit,
Lucia

References

CNN Exercise: Quality versus quantity
Tuesday, October 22, 2002 Posted: 4:01 PM EDT (2001 GMT)

"http://www.cnn.com/2002/HEALTH/diet.fitness/10/22/exercise.heart.ap/index.html"