I know I might sound like a broken record when it comes to exercise. But my hope in talking about it so much is that it will help motivate you to start incorporating a little movement into your routine, every day.
Because the truth is, occasional exercise just doesn’t work. Consistency is the key—especially if you want to lower your risk of heart disease.
In fact, some recent research shows just how powerful a cardiovascular tool exercise really is…
More is more
A new study showed that the heart benefits of exercise are limitless—and no, that’s not an exaggeration. I mean it quite literally.
Researchers looked at data from more than 90,000 U.K. Biobank participants—none of whom had a history of heart disease. Subjects all agreed to wear a device to measure their physical activity levels over the course of a week.
Unsurprisingly, subjects in the lowest category of physical activity smoked more, weighed more, had higher levels of C-reactive protein, and higher rates of hypertension.
The research team assessed for higher intensity (including moderate and vigorous) activity as well as the total amount of exercise. And each level reduced risk of heart disease, accordingly.
Compared to people in the lowest category, moderate intensity exercisers had less than three-quarters of the risk of a heart disease diagnosis down the line. Moderate-to-vigorous exercisers only had a 59 percent risk; and vigorous exercisers were less than half as likely to wind up with heart disease.
In other words, according to this study, at least, more physical activity translated to more overall heart protection.
Double up your efforts
This is the largest study to ever look at exercise habits and heart disease. And it pretty clearly shows that exercise is even more important for prevention than we once thought.
Which is exactly why I wanted to bring it up today. These study authors want to boost the current recommendation of 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise per week all the way up to 300 minutes per week. That’s how convinced they are that more is better.
And while that may seem like a daunting suggestion, when you think about it, it’s still less than an hour per day—hardly “excessive,” especially if you’re doing something you enjoy. Like dancing, bike riding, or even just taking a brisk walk in the sunshine. (And don’t forget that you don’t have to do it all in one long workout. Every little bit adds up!)
The bottom line here is that regular physical activity can save your life—and it’s never too early or too late to start getting your exercise groove on. So what are you waiting for?
Get up off the couch and move! Even in the days of COVID-19, we can all find unique ways to incorporate daily movement into our lives.
Walk to the mailbox and back. Take a stroll around your yard or neighborhood block. Climb up and down your stairs a few times. Do a little gardening as temperatures begin to rise. Whatever you do… just do it!
P.S. Looking for additional ways to help safeguard your heart? My comprehensive, Ultimate Heart Protection Protocol outlines my all-natural plan to prevent and fight against America’s biggest killers—high blood pressure, heart attack, and stroke. To learn more about this innovative, online learning tool, or to enroll today, click here now!
Source:
“No limit to cardiovascular benefits of exercise, study finds.” Science Daily, 01/12/2021. (sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210112144824.htm)