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It is a well-known fact that heart disease is one of the biggest causes of death around the world. In a long-term study of the health of the people of in the United States, the U.S. Public Health Service documented the chances of developing heart disease among various groups in the population. They have identified several high-risk groups. Among the highest are males over the age of 35. If they are also cigarette smokers, have high blood pressure, have high levels of certain blood fats, and also have a family history of cardiovascular disorders, these will all increase their chances of getting heart disease. Other researchers have added to this list another risk factor: the compulsive, hard-driving, highly anxious personality. The greater the severity, the greater the person’s overall risk. The threats to the heart can be divided into two main categories: those that are beyond individual control, such as age, sex, and heredity, and those that can be controlled, avoided, or even eliminated. Among those in the second category is what cardiologists refer to as “the triple threat.” These are the high blood pressure, cigarette smoking, and high cholesterol levels in the blood. So let’s say you want to quickly get on the good side of the statistical ledger. The first thing to do immediately is stop the damaging behaviour that got you in the difficulty you’re in. Stop smoking and change your diet immediately will start you on the right track, but that’s just a start. Think of what the lifetime of abusing your heart has done to it. The heart is a muscle, or more accurately a group or “package” of muscles, similar in many ways to the muscles of the arms and legs. And just as exercise strengthens and improves limb muscles, it enhances the health of the heart muscles as well. To enable the damaged heart to physically heal, new small blood vessels will form to take the pressure off damaged vessels. This is called collateral circulation. If the new network takes on enough of the function of the damaged or narrowed vessels, a heart attack could be averted. Some studies showed that moderate exercise several times a week is more effective in building up these auxiliary pathways than a high intensity workout done as often. Since World War II, several large-scale statistical studies have evaluated the relationship between physical activity and cardiovascular disease. One well-known survey compared 31,000 drivers and conductors of some bus companies. The more sedentary drivers had a significantly higher rate of heart disease than the conductors, who walked around the buses and climbed stairs to the upper level. There have been many other studies that support these findings. The general rule is that exercise helps reduce the risk of harm to the heart. Some researches further attested the link between exercise and a healthy heart from the following findings: non-exercisers had a 49% greater risk of heart attack than the other people included in the study. The study attributed a third of that risk to sedentary lifestyle alone. Hence, with employing the interval cardio training, you can absolutely expect positive results not only on areas that concerns your cardiovascular system but on the overall status of your health as well. Heart health fortunately can be turned around, even when there has been damage to the heart. But you must start before there is too much deterioration, and some highly intensive programs will help your heart and help in other ways. Read about raising your metabolism on our website. Jim O’Connell is a writer and health advocate living in Chicago.
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