Importance of exercises for a healthy Heart

Exercise on a daily basis helps to keep your heart fit and healthy. It has been established beyond doubt that the incidence of heart disease is higher in people who live a very sedentary life.

We know that exercise makes us fit and yet most of us feel that ‘there is just no time for exercise’. Scientific research suggests that all physical activity and exercise modify the risk factors for heart disease. Therefore it can be termed as the most powerful and efficient medicine for heart health.

One needs to understand the essential differences between the terms of ‘physical activity’ and ‘exercise’.

Physical activity includes any body movement which makes your muscles contract and increases metabolism. It includes, household chores, climbing stairs, sweeping and mopping of the floor, vaccuming etc.

A sub category of physical activity is exercise. It is a specific and structured activity program aimed at achieving and maintaining physical and psychological fitness through different forms.

The levels of physical activity are on a continuous structure. At one end of the spectrum is a very sedentary lifestyle with no significant physical activity. On the other end of the spectrum is the kind of exercise that helps reach peak level of a conditioned athlete. The movement along this continuum depends on the starting point and the goals of the exercise routine. If one has a sedentary type of life simply increasing the amount of physical activity in the day will be a beginning.

The benefits of physical activity and exercise are plenty. They are the cornerstone of a healthy lifestyle. Being active can significantly reduce chances of developing potentially fatal illnesses like heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Regular exercise will help control high blood pressure, obesity, depression and anxiety. It is essential to remove all energy blocks, provides better bone strength, increases energy, improves balance and overall sense of well being. The workouts need to be done on a regular basis with proper warm up, slow, conscious breathing, stretching and contracting every part of the body preferably using your own body weight for strength, power and increasing overall muscle tone. Regular walking is also a very good exercise as this will help to increase your blood flow and oxygen supply to the heart.

Choose an exercise program that you find interesting. Start gradually as a sudden burst of activity after an attack or any illness can be dangerous and can cause excessive strain on your cardiovascular system. If you are a heart patient you must consult your physician/ doctor/ cardiologist before embarking on an exercise program.

To maximize the benefits to the heart, keep the following pointers in mind when beginning a structured exercise program.

• Frequency of exercise should be 4-5 days a week, at low to moderate intensity.
• Duration should be 45 min to one hour.
• Intensity-60 to 85% of maximum heart rate.(Maximum heart rate is calculated by the formula 220- YOUR AGE).
• Type of exercise: Aerobic exercises that use large muscle groups in a continuous manner like walking or cycling are good. Stretching through yoga and pilates postures also help. All these will improve one’s sense of equilibrium and co-ordination.
• Last but not the least, it is important to bring down the heart rate. A cool down period of 5-10 minutes is very essential. Lie down with eyes shut to connect with the center of one’s being. This state of simple meditation helps to eliminate stress, fears and anxieties.

Regularity is the essence of any exercise program. The core requirement is determination and dedication.

Yoga asanas or postures play an important role in maintaining a healthy heart. Yoga means ‘joining’or ‘Yuj’, (to join or connect). In other words, it means to reunite the individual self with the Absolute or consciousness. Studies and research have shown that practicing yoga and its therapeutic asanas regularly has many benefits like controlling high blood pressure, heart ailments, arthritis, asthma and many other medical conditions. Yoga asanas or postures exercises, stretches and tones the entire musculature, spine, joints and the whole skeletal system. They also regulate and maintain the internal organs, glands and the nerves. The pranayama or the breathing exercises help to revitalize the entire mind and body leading to radiant health, better mental strength and better blood circulation.

It is important to understand that the health of the heart depends on the health of the body as a whole. Therefore the asanas or postures that are beneficial for the entire body and particularly the spinal column will indirectly benefit or improve the heart/lung capacity and function. The asanas that are beneficial for the spinal column like Dhanurasana, Bhujangasana, Trikonasana, Pashchimottasana and Halasana will also help the heart. These postures must be practiced under supervision and care must be taken to consult your doctor or your cardiologist if you are suffering from high blood pressure or any other medical condition.