The experts at the American Heart Association (AHA) note the simplest, positive change you can make to improve your heart's health is to start walking. Depending on when you get started, and how much walking you do, taking a brisk walk through the neighborhood regularly can add years to your life. Always check with your doctor first, but if you'd like to have a say in your heart's physical fitness, consider adding walking to your schedule.
Aerobic Exercise
Aerobic exercise includes walking, running, swimming and other activities that get the large muscles of the body moving and increase your heart rate. This helps exercise and strengthen your heart, likely the most important muscle in your body. Note, however, that a slow stroll does not have the same aerobic benefit of a brisk walk. Check with your physician before beginning any exercise program, especially if your age, gender or family history puts you at risk for heart disease, and he can likely provide you with information regarding the appropriate aerobic exercise and target heart rate for your physical condition.
Benefits
Along with exercising your actual heart muscle, walking reduces weight, lowers stress, decreases the risk of diabetes and elevated cholesterol, and lowers blood pressure, all factors contributing to heart health. Walking is gentler on the joints of your knees and hips when compared with jogging, and most people find it an easy exercise to do. The AHA notes that every hour of walking may actually increase life expectancy by two hours; and walking has the lowest dropout rate of any exercise.
Types
Few exercise regimens provide as much versatility as walking. It can accommodate your preference for the indoors or outdoors. Treadmills, indoor tracks at your local gym and even your local mall provide places to walk during heat waves or blizzards. If you suffer from osteoporosis or arthritis affecting your knees and hips, you can take a walk in a pool. This protects joints while providing the same heart benefits as other aerobic exercise, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disorders. You can walk alone, with a friend or join a group.
Considerations
Because it needs no special equipment other than a good pair of shoes, walking is easy to take with you on vacations, to visit relatives or on business trips. It also works well as a quick fix to help you refocus and avoid adding empty calories or caffeine for an energy boost at work or home. For instance, when you feel restless or bored, try taking a quick five-minute walk instead of turning on the TV, eating chips or grabbing a cup of coffee at the office machine.
Expert Insight
It is never too late to start walking if you are physically capable. The NIDDK recommends walking as an aerobic activity older adults can incorporate to keep them "young at heart." The group suggests you start with as little as 10 minutes at a time, but build up to 30 minutes or more of moderate-intensity cardiovascular or aerobic activity on most, but preferably all, days of the week. As a weight-bearing activity, walking might also help increase or maintain bone mass and reduce the risk of fracture, a common concern for older adults.
