People begin an exercise program for many reasons, often in hopes of reaping cosmetic results. Some want big muscles, others a smaller waistline or thinner thighs. But many of us wait until we have a cardiac episode to begin an exercise program for the heart. Yet your heart health impacts every cell in your body, including brain cells. For health, longevity and an improved quality of life, it is never too soon to begin heart health training.
Heart Function During Exercise and At Rest
Each time your heart beats, oxygen-saturated blood is pumped into your circulatory system and delivered to the cells throughout the body. A healthy heart pumps more blood per beat with greater force, and therefore does not need to beat as often to meet the body's oxygen needs. During physical activity, the oxygen demand in the muscles increases, causing the heart to beat faster and harder, which in turn improves cardiac efficiency. When you are inactive over long periods of time, the heart muscle weakens and loses much of its capacity to send oxygen where it is needed.
Aerobic Endurance
Endurance refers to the ability to sustain an activity for a long period of time without fatigue. Cardiovascular endurance means your heart is able to keep up with oxygen demand during perpetual activity. To improve cardiovascular endurance, exercise at a moderate intensity for extended increments of time. The American College of Sports Medicine, in conjunction with the American Heart Association, recommends 30 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic activity five to seven days per week, or high-intensity training for 20 minutes three days per week. Walking, jogging, swimming laps, cycling, dancing and other rhythmic activities fit the bill, as long as movement is continuous.
Intensity Training
While moderate intensity activity is highly beneficial, recent research reveals that bouts of higher intensity exercise may provide even more benefit. An article published in the January-February, 2010 issue of the Journal of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation reports recent studies in patients with heart disease show that high relative intensity exercise training "improves the intrinsic pump capacity of the myocardium, an effect not previously believed to occur with exercise training". Bouts of moderate intensity activity interspersed with intervals of high intensity are a good way to achieve benefits of both intensity and endurance training. Try a walk/run program, walking for two to three minutes and then running for 30 seconds to one minute.
Nurtrition and Lifestyle
While exercise is the foundation of your heart health training program, any athlete will tell you that nutrition and healthy lifestyle behaviors are vital training companions. Getting adequate sleep, managing stress and abstaining from unhealthy habits like smoking all promote heart health. Eating a diet low in saturated fats and high in fruits, vegetables and whole grains and drinking plenty of plain filtered water round out your training program.
References
- Mayo Clinic: Aerobic Exercise: Top 10 Reasons to Get Physical
- American Heart Association: Circulation: Exercise and Cardiovascular Health
- Franklin Institure: The Human Heart: Kinds of Physical Exercise
- Journal of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation, January-February 2010 High: Intensity Aerobic Exercise Training Improves the Heart in Health and Disease
- American College of Sports Medicine: Physical Activity and Public Health Guidelines
