Preventing heart disease through exersize

Preventing Heart Disease: Exercise is key for a Healthy Heart
Among inumerable factors which cointribute to heart health and performance, regular exersize is the primary method of preventing heart failure. In fact, a sedentary (inactive) lifestyle is one of the top risk factors for heart disease. Fortunately, it's a risk factor that you can do something about. Regular exercise, especially aerobic exercise, has many benefits. It can:
· Strengthen your heart and cardiovascular system.
· Improve Mental acuity
· Lengthen life span
· Improve your circulation and help your body use oxygen better.
· Increase energy levels.
· Increase endurance.
· Lower blood pressure.
· Improve muscle tone and strength.
· Improve balance and joint flexibility.
· Strengthen bones.
· Help reduce body fat and help you reach a healthy weight.
· Help reduce stress, tension, anxiety and depression.
· Boost self-image and self-esteem.
· Improve sleep.
· Make you feel more relaxed and rested.
· Make you look fit and feel healthy.
· Improve mood and imotional outlook.
· Create new avenues for social interaction

When Should I Get Started?
It is essential that you always check with your doctor first before starting any rigourus exercise program. Your doctor can help you find a program that matches your level of fitness and physical condition. That aside, any time is a good time to implement a smart fitness strategy. Methods of exersize are only limited by the imagination of the exersizer. Before you get started, however, here are some questions to ask:
· How much exercise can I do each day?
· How often can I exercise each week?
· What type of exercise should I do?
· What type of activities should I avoid?
· Should I take my medication(s) at a certain time around my exercise schedule?
· Do I have to take my pulse while exercising?
All of these factors must be taken into consideration when exersizing. It is important to note that improper exersize or over exertion can be more dangerous than no exeersize at all. The soulution? Always know you limits and always exersize in moderation.

What Type of Exercise Is most beneficial?
· Stretching or the slow lengthening of the muscles. Stretching the arms and legs before and after exercising helps prepare the muscles for activity and helps prevent injury and muscle strain. Regular stretching also increases your range of motion and flexibility. Yoga and other types of balance and to ne centered exercise programs are particularly good for this.
· Cardiovascular or aerobic is steady physical activity using large muscle groups. This type of exercise strengthens the heart and lungs and improves the body's ability to use oxygen. Aerobic exercise has the most benefits for your heart. Over time, aerobic exercise can help decrease your heart rate and blood pressure and improve your breathing (since your heart won't have to work as hard during exercise). Estimates of the optimum heart rate level at peak exersize levels vary, but the general consensus is 150 BPM which should be maintained for at least 5 minutes.
· Strengthening exercises are repeated muscle contractions (tightening) until the muscle becomes tired. For people with heart failure, many strengthening exercises are not recommended. Weight lifting among others can be very strenuous and even dangerous when not practiced safely.(See below)

What Are Examples of good Aerobic Exercises?
Aerobic exercises include: walking, jogging, jumping rope, bicycling (stationary or outdoor), cross-country skiing, skating, rowing and low-impact aerobics or water aerobics. Virtually all aerobic exersize is good for your heart and body
How Often Should I Exercise?
In general, to achieve maximum benefits, you should gradually work up to an aerobic session lasting 20 to 30 minutes, at least three to four times a week. Exercising every other day will help you start a regular aerobic exercise schedule. The American Heart Association recommends working up to exercising on most days of the week. While the more exercise you can do the better, any amount of exercise is beneficial to your health. Remember, all exersize is not good exersize. Consider you heart health first and exersize in ways that gradually improve your stamina and ability to perform at increased performance levels