Exercising for heart health

Exercise plays a key role in disease prevention. It’s particularly beneficial for your cardiovascular system (your heart and blood vessels).

When you move your body, your heart has to work harder to pump more blood around your body. Each time your heart beats, the blood vessels must expand and contract, allowing more or less blood to flow through them to the muscles, organs and tissues.

The more you exercise, the more efficient your heart, lungs, and blood vessels become in moving blood around the body. As a result, you get healthier and fitter.

The benefits of exercise for your cardiovascular system don’t just stop there, though. Studies have shown that regular physical activity can reduce the risk of chronic diseases, including heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke. It can also help reduce mortality rates and possibly extend your lifespan.

Increasing your muscle size through regular resistance training (weight lifting) increases insulin sensitivity. This lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes and makes blood glucose management easier for those who already have diabetes. It also boosts your basal metabolic rate (BMR), which helps with weight management.

So, how much exercise do you need to do for a healthy heart? Current recommendations are for 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week or 75 minutes of high-intensity exercise. You can split this up in any way you like, whether you prefer to do longer sessions or shorter ones. It is also recommended to include two strength training sessions each week..