We’ve all heard it over and over again — exercising regularly, eating right and avoiding tobacco and alcohol are key to living a long life and maintaining good health.
With February being National Heart Awareness Month, it's important to remember that heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States — and it can be a silent killer. While diet and lifestyle are key components to avoiding heart disease, exercise is a lifesaving preventative some might overlook.
However, implementing regular exercise into one’s life is not as easy as it seems. Some might believe regular exercise is only for those who are trying to maintain a certain appearance. While this might be true for some, exercise is something everyone should implement into their daily routine.
The idea of a gym might be daunting for some, but there are a multitude of much simpler ways to get blood pumping.
Obviously, I’m no doctor or personal trainer; however, after years of hypochondriacal research, I’ve learned a thing or two about the importance of heart health and the effect exercise has on it. After all, the heart is responsible for pumping blood throughout the body, which delivers oxygen to all vital organs, facilitating normal function of the kidneys, liver, lungs and brain.
According to Sara Berg of the American Medical Association, regular exercise can significantly reduce the risk of death. It is recommended adults get 150-300 minutes of moderate exercise per week, such as walking, weightlifting or other lower-intensity movement, or 75-150 minutes weekly of vigorous exercise, such as running, swimming or other high-intensity exercises.
When you break those numbers down, that is roughly 30-60 minutes of moderate exercise five days a week, or 15-30 minutes of high-intensity exercise for five days a week. Amidst the hustle and bustle of work, family and other important responsibilities, 15-60 minutes of exercise is not difficult to squeeze in throughout the day.
Whether it’s taking a walk with your family after dinner, challenging yourself to reach new running goals or playing pickleball with friends, there are exercises that everyone can do.
Regular exercise not only benefits heart health; regular exercise can also reduce stress, improve focus and reduce brain fog, according to Mayo Clinic. Reducing cortisol levels and stress hormones can also benefit — you guessed it —overall heart health.
An article by Kathy Katella of Yale Medicine states long-term stress can lead to higher inflammation levels, resulting in plaque buildup in the arteries. Consistent problems like this can result in heart attack, abnormal heart rhythms and heart failure.
Increased and prolonged stress can lead to increased blood pressure and heart rate, leading to heart damage.
This all goes to say, exercise is not just something to do when you want to lose weight or build muscle. Exercise can improve your overall health, and ultimately make you live longer.
The next time you feel too tired to do anything but watch your favorite television show, take a 15 minute walk around your neighborhood — it just might save your life.
Melody Rathel is the Alexander City beat reporter for Tallapoosa Publishers Inc. She can be reached at mel.rathel@alexcityoutlook.com.
