Exercise and Heart Health
It’s very difficult to achieve good health if you live a sedentary lifestyle. Consistent physical activity is critical to your overall health, but especially your heart health. Even if you haven’t regularly exercised in the past, it’s never too late to start. Understanding why exercise benefits your heart can be a key motivator to get moving! Here are some key pieces of information:
- Exercise is key to maintaining a healthy weight: Aside from a healthy diet, exercise is an essential piece of the puzzle for losing or maintain optimal weight. Staying within a normal weight range will reduce the burden placed on your heart.
- Exercise can lower blood pressure: High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease.
- Exercise can reduce stress: Over an extended period of time, stress hormones can increase your risk of high blood pressure and heart attacks.
- Exercise can help you quit smoking: Many people who begin exercising consistently also decide to quit smoking. Healthy habits can have a snow-ball effect!
Here are some additional tips for naturally implementing extra physical activity into your daily life:
- Pick a parking spot that is further away from the entrance so that you force yourself to walk further!
- Take the stairs.
- Go for a walk with a friend during your lunch break.
- Invest in a fitness tracker to stay motivated.
- Try to break a sweat every single day.
- If you work at a desk, take stretching-breaks every hour for 5 minutes.