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It seems like every week there is a news story about the popularity of competitive fitness sports, Pilates, or barre-type exercises or a new gym opening. Your social media feed is likely filled with friends talking about their marathon, half-marathon, or triathlon training. This information may lead you to believe that most of the people you know are getting plenty of exercise every week. Unfortunately, data collected by the Centers for Disease Control suggests otherwise. Approximately 80 percent of American adults do not get the recommended amount of exercise per week. As a result, Americans are putting themselves at risk for heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. There are a number of ways in which adults can fit in the cardiologist-recommended 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise, or 75 minutes per week of vigorous exercise. Ask any cardiologist about the best exercise for heart health, and he or she will probably tell you that interval training cannot be beat if you are already relatively healthy. Interval training combines short bursts of high intensity activity, usually followed by a period of active recovery or strength training. Interval training requires minimal equipment and can be done nearly anywhere. Interval training can be as simple as cycles of walking at normal speed for 3 minutes, followed by 1 minute of intense effort. For more of a challenge, the Tabata regimen is worth a try. It involves 20 seconds of very high intensity exercise, followed by a 10 second rest, repeated over 4 minutes. Even if you have been diagnosed with heart disease or suffered a heart attack, it is important to exercise to strengthen your heart. Of course, you should consult with your cardiologist before you begin an exercise regimen to find out what activities might be safe for you, and what precautions you should take. Aerobic activity such as swimming, walking, or biking, works your heart. Just like any other muscle, exercise will help your heart work more efficiently, improve blood flow, and use oxygen better. Aim for three to four times a week, and try to exert more effort each time. Weight training may improve your muscle tone, and make some of your everyday activities easier; however, they do not improve your cardiovascular health the way aerobic exercise does. Pilates is another type of exercise you may want to try to improve your cardiovascular health. Although Pilates is not an aerobic workout and will not raise your heart rate the way walking can, your cardiologist may recommend it because it helps relieve stress by promoting relaxation. Pilates is a low impact exercise, and many of the exercises are done from a seated or reclining position, and emphasize isolating small muscle groups through small motions. Studies have found that heart failure patients who participated in Pilates classes in addition to aerobic exercise had greater increases in exercise time, ventilation, peak oxygen consumption, and pulse, compared with those who did only aerobic exercise. Even if you cannot make it to a gym, you might still sneak in some exercise without realizing it. Studies have shown that people who are active all day are generally healthier than those who exercise but sit at a computer most of the day. For improved health with the help of a cardiologist, New Orleans residents rely on East Jefferson General Hospital. Learn more at http://www.ejgh.org.
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