“You have six months to keep track of those numbers, or I’m going to give you cholesterol medication.” Those were the words my doctor used eight years ago for a routine checkup. Three months after giving birth and total cholesterol in the “high” category, I knew it was time to get my body moving. Three years before this appointment, my father died suddenly of a heart attack. He battled high cholesterol for most of his adult life and lived for several decades taking cholesterol-lowering drugs. Although he made some lifestyle changes before his death, they came a little too late.
After that routine exam, I abandoned all excuses, put my heart health first and went back to the one thing that has always helped control my cholesterol: exercise.
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Why is heart health so important to women?
Heart disease is consistently a leading cause of death for women in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cardiovascular disease causes one in three deaths in women each year. But this is not the scariest statistic: only one in five American women believe that heart disease is one of your biggest threats.
The good news: we are talking about this epidemic more than ever and pushing for better screening, awareness and prevention.
Click here to read the full article.
One tool that continues to gain popularity for its benefits for heart health is exercise. This simple and free prevention measure is easily accessible and has infinite benefits for your physical and mental health. In addition, it helps control hypertension and cholesterol, decreases the risk of developing high cholesterol and blood pressure, reduces stress and helps control weight.
What are some exercises to improve heart health?
It is not an understatement to say that I literally wanted to run home after that checkup eight years ago. Although I didn’t hit the pavement that day, I dusted off my running shoes and started walking four to five days a week. After pushing a double stroller for six months, I started running.
Why walk and run? Well, consistent aerobic exercise has been the only constant in my life that has helped to control my cholesterol level and, consequently, lower my risk of having a heart attack. But any physical activity that makes you move, increase your heart rate to a safe level and be sustainable for at least 30 minutes, will have benefits for heart health. And the experts agree.
Dr. Amnon Beniaminovitz, a cardiologist at Manhattan Cardiology, says the heart loves to be challenged aerobically. For cardiac health benefits, he recommends aerobic exercise, including walking, running, swimming or cycling. “One of the simplest and most positive changes you can make to effectively improve your heart health is to start walking,” he says She knows. It is a pleasant, free, easy, social and great exercise.
In addition, “aerobic exercise lowers blood pressure, increases good HDL cholesterol and decreases bad LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, improves glucose utilization and reduces the percentage of body fat”, Dr. Nieca Goldberg, cardiologist and medical director of the Joan H. Tisch Center for Women’s Health at NYU Langone Medical Center, says She knows.
“Having high blood pressure over time can lead to a rigid heart that needs to work harder,” explains Beniaminovitz. A hard, hardworking heart requires more energy and is more susceptible to damage when the blood supply is low or blocked.
In addition, high cholesterol causes blockage of the arteries, which can lead to a heart attack. Beniaminovitz says that aerobic exercise reduces rates of abnormal heart rhythms, training the heart to be less sensitive and reactive to stimulation.
But it is not just aerobic exercise that benefits our hearts. Resistance or strength training is also important in the fight against heart disease in women. Lifting weights or using your body weight for resistance increases blood flow and can lead to longer blood pressure control. That’s why Carol Michaels, a nationally recognized exercise expert and founder of Recovery Fitness, uses it with her clients.
Michaels is also proud of the benefits of resistance training to increase muscle mass, which will help with weight control. She says her resistance or strength training program should include exercises that strengthen all major muscle groups, such as squats, lunges, leg raises, planks, push-ups and various core strengthening exercises.
How much exercise is needed for heart health benefits?
Just 30 minutes of physical activity five days a week is enough to reap the rewards of this heart-healthy and well-being recipe. If 30 minutes at a time is too much, consider dividing this piece into smaller segments of two 15-minute sessions.
In addition, the American Heart Association says that people who would benefit from lowering blood pressure or cholesterol should do aerobic exercise for 40 minutes, three to four times a week. This appears to be ideal for reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke.
This is the minimum for optimal health. In fact, Beniaminovitz tells his patients to exercise daily. He suggests a combination of 40 minutes of moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise three to four times a week – and on non-aerobic days, some basic training or resistance training – as the best combination.
But also keep in mind that even doing some exercises is better than nothing – your heart will appreciate the effort!
A version of this story was published in April 2018.
Before you go, check out our recovery fundamentals to take care of yourself after your workout:
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