Exercise makes the heart more resistant to stress and heart disease. It makes the heart work more efficiently. A healthy heart pumps a large amount of blood to carry oxygen throughout the body. It does this with fewer beats than a weak or unconditioned heart.

To many people, "high cholesterol" means "heart attack". Cholesterol is a risk factor for heart disease as is smoking, high blood pressure and diabetes. Too much cholesterol in the blood can clog blood vessels. A blocked blood vessel supplying muscles of the heart can cause a heart attack and even death. Exercise lowers the bad cholesterol that clogs blood vessels and raises the good cholesterol that helps sweep out the blood vessels.

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends aerobic exercise done for a minimum of 20 minutes, three times a week at 60% of the maximum heart rate. Doing less than this will minimize your health benefits. Exercising 4 or more times a week will increase your health benefits.

Walk briskly, jog, hike, cycle, swim, or do other aerobic (non-stop, steady) exercise. Aerobic activities use large muscle groups for an extended period of time. Aerobic exercise performed at moderate intensity makes the heart stronger. Hard, strenuous exercise is not needed to improve the health of the heart and lungs. Moderate and continuous exercise is.

An aerobic exercise program makes the heart more efficient at delivering oxygen to the body's cells. It makes blood pressure go down. Exercise lowers the risk for heart attack and heart disease. The benefits that exercise gives to the heart are hard to pass up. For moderate fitness, do 30-plus minutes of aerobic exercise 3 to 5 times a week. Especially when two out of three heart attack survivors never make a complete recovery. Heart failure disables one out of five survivors.

Get a medical checkup before starting any exercise program. Beginners should work with a certified exercise leader. This ensures that a proper workout program is prescribed for their health condition. It is also important to learn how to exercise safely.

Choose activities that you enjoy, and that are readily accessible. To learn more, visit your local bookstore or library, or call your local YMCA or YWCA.

Copyright (c) 1997 National Health Enhancement Systems, Inc. (602) 230-7575.

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