We all know that exercise and cardio fitness is good for the heart. However, did you know that not exercising is one of the risk factors for developing heart disease? A number of years ago, the American Heart Association added inactivity and lack of exercise to its list of risk factors, which also encompasses family history, high blood pressure levels, high cholesterol, diabetes as well as obesity.
The heart needs exercise just as any other muscle does. Muscles which are utilised regularly become stronger and healthier. This is as opposed to muscles that aren’t used weaken and atrophy.
When it’s exercised, and your cardio fitness improves, the heart is able to pump more blood through the body and continue working at its optimal efficiency with little strain. This will likely assist it to stay healthy for longer. Regular exercise and improved cardio fitness also assists with keeping arteries and other blood vessels flexible so ensuring good blood flow and normal blood pressure.
What Are The Dangers Of Not Exercising?
According to medical experts, as many as 250 000 deaths per year may be credited to a lack of regular exercise and cardio fitness. Living a sedentary or inactive life has always been one of the main five risk factors for heart disease. Other risk factors involve high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking as well as obesity. Those with low levels of physical and cardio fitness also experience a higher rate of cardiovascular events, like heart attack and death.
According to research, men who reported doing more than 23 hours a week of sedentary activity had a 64% greater risk of dying from heart disease as opposed to those who reported less than 11 hours of sedentary activity.
Inactivity and very little exercise also affects other risk factors for heart disease. For example, according to the University of Maryland Medical Centre, sedentary people have a 35% greater risk of developing high blood pressure as opposed to physically active people.
How To Improve Your Cardio Fitness
To improve your cardio fitness, try to include at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity – such as walking or gardening – on most days of the week. If you are not able to fit in a single session, split up your activity into three 10-minute blocks which are spread throughout your day. And, it goes without saying that you very definitely need to check with your doctor before beginning a new exercise programme.
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Being fit as well as healthy is not only about cardio fitness – there is a lot more to learn if you want to achieve optimal levels of fitness! If you’re one of those people who are dying to make your passion for fitness your career then you need to become a personal trainer. Our Personal Training Diploma is the best way to make this happen. Find out more here.
