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Exercises for a Healthy Heart @ BillDoll.com
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Exercises for a Healthy Heart
Our heart is the work-horse of our body, constantly pumping blood in and out and keeping us alive. For this reason, the heart also is one of the most critical parts of our body, to be constantly kept in good shape.
So what are the exercises that will enable us to maintain a healthy heart and as a result healthy lifestyle? This section of Billion Dollar Questions focuses on this aspect and provides comprehensive inputs and web resources for the same.
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Heart Attack – What Can Be Controlled & What Cannot Be
Unchangeable major risk factors
Changeable risk factors
It is well-documented that proper and regular exercise can significantly reduce overweight, cholesterol, blood pressure, blood pressure, diabetes & stress. This implies that just by regular exercise, one can significantly control many of the underlying factors that contribute to heart disease!
If that be so, what are the exercises that can specifically benefit the heart?
Exercises for a Healthy Heart
Prominent among the types of exercises that benefit the heart are exercises categorized as 'aerobic'. Aerobic activity is any repetitive, rhythmic exercise involving large muscle groups. Examples of aerobic activity include walking, cycling, swimming and dancing. Aerobic activity increases the body's demand for oxygen and adds to the workload of the heart and lungs, making the heart and circulation more efficient and helping to develop endurance.
The other main type of exercise is called 'isometric'. Isometric exercises are those in which muscle tension is produced without moving a joint - for example, when pushing against a wall. These exercises produce good, local strength gain. However, they do little for your heart and circulation. In fact, people with heart disease or high blood pressure should avoid doing isometric exercises because they increase your blood pressure, and put your heart under stress.
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10 Easy Starter “Exercises” Suggested by National Institutes of Health, USA: (see full article here - PDF)
10 Tips for Exercising suggested by NIH
For Those Who Have Existing Heart Problems
If you are a patient with existing heart problems, you should take professional advice before deciding on the types of exercises you can follow. The following are the general suggestions.
Web References
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Related Online Resources
Glossary of Heart-Disease Related Terms
A: Aneurysm, Angina pectoris, Angioplasty, Artery, Atherosclerosis, Atrial, Atrial fibrillation B: Blood clot, Blood pressure, Bypass C: Cardiac, Cardiac arrest, Carotid, Carotid artery, Cerebral, Chest, Chest pain, Cholesterol, Circulation, Coma, Congestive heart failure, Contrast, Coronary arteries, Coronary artery bypass graft, Coronary artery disease D: Diabetes (Diabetes mellitus and diabetes insipidus) F: Fatty acids, Fibrillation, Folic acid G: Graft H: HDL, HDL cholesterol, Heart attack, Heart disease, Heart failure, Heart muscle, Hemorrhage, Hemorrhagic, High blood pressure, Homocysteine I: Infarction, Ischemia, LDL cholesterol L: Lipoprotein, Lumen M: Metabolic, Muscle, Myocardial infarction (MI) N: Neurological O: Omega-3 fatty acids P: Paralysis, Plaque R: Rupture S: Serum, Stent, Stroke, Subarachnoid, Subarachnoid hemorrhage, Surgery T: Thrombosis, Tissue, Trigger, Triglycerides V: Vascular, Ventricular, Ventricular fibrillation, Vessel.
Fitness – Exercise for a Healthy Heart – Terms
Fitness: Exercise for a Healthy Heart Glossary of Terms
Aerobic: Oxygen-requiring. Aerobic bacteria need oxygen to grow. Aerobic exercise requires the heart and lungs to work harder to meet the body's increased oxygen demand.
Aerobic exercise: Brisk physical activity that requires the heart and lungs to work harder to meet the body's increased oxygen demand. Aerobic exercise promotes the circulation of oxygen through the blood.
Blood pressure: The blood pressure is the pressure of the blood within the arteries. It is produced primarily by the contraction of the heart muscle. It's measurement is recorded by two numbers. The first (systolic pressure) is measured after the heart contracts and is highest. The second (diastolic pressure) is measured before the heart contracts and lowest. A blood pressure cuff is used to measure the pressure. Elevation of blood pressure is called "hypertension". Breathing: The process of respiration, during which air is inhaled into the lungs through the mouth or nose due to muscle contraction, and then exhaled due to muscle relaxation.
Cardiovascular: The circulatory system comprising the heart and blood vessels which carries nutrients and oxygen to the tissues of the body and removes carbon dioxide and other wastes from them.
Cardiovascular system: The circulatory system which comprises the heart and blood vessels. The system carries nutrients and oxygen to the tissues of the body and removes carbon dioxide and other wastes from them.
Chest: The area of the body located between the neck and the abdomen . The chest contains the lungs , the heart and part of the aorta . The walls of the chest are supported by the dorsal vertebrae , the ribs , and the sternum .
Chest pain: There are many causes of chest pain. One is angina which results from inadequate oxygen supply to the heart muscle. Angina can be caused by coronary artery disease or spasm of the coronary arteries. Chest pain can also be due to a heart attack (coronary occlusion) and other important diseases such as, for example, dissection of the aorta and a pulmonary embolism. Do not try to ignore chest pain and "work (or play) though it." Chest pain is a warning to seek medical attention
Circulation: The movement of fluid in a regular or circuitous course. Although the noun "circulation" does not necessarily refer to the circulation of the blood, for all practical purposes today it does. Heart failure is an example of a problem with the circulation.
Fat: 1 Along with proteins and carbohydrates, one of the three nutrients used as energy sources by the body. The energy produced by fats is 9 calories per gram. Proteins and carbohydrates each provide 4 calories per gram. 2 Total fat; the sum of saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Intake of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats can help reduce blood cholesterol when substituted for saturated fats in the diet. 3 A slang term for obese or adipose. 4 In chemistry, a compound formed from chemicals called fatty acids. These fats are greasy, solid materials found in animal tissues and in some plants. Fats are the major component of the flabby material of a body, commonly known as blubber.
Heart: The muscle that pumps blood received from veins into arteries throughout the body. It is positioned in the chest behind the sternum (breastbone; in front of the trachea, esophagus, and aorta; and above the diaphragm muscle that separates the chest and abdominal cavities. The normal heart is about the size of a closed fist, and weighs about 10.5 ounces. It is cone-shaped, with the point of the cone pointing down to the left. Two-thirds of the heart lies in the left side of the chest with the balance in the right chest.
Heart disease: Any disorder that affects the heart. Sometimes the term "heart disease" is used narrowly and incorrectly as a synonym for coronary artery disease. Heart disease is synonymous with cardiac disease but not with cardiovascular disease which is any disease of the heart or blood vessels. Among the many types of heart disease, see, for example: Angina; Arrhythmia; Congenital heart disease; Coronary artery disease (CAD); Dilated cardiomyopathy; Heart attack (myocardial infarction); Heart failure; Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy; Mitral regurgitation; Mitral valve prolapse; and Pulmonary stenosis
Heart failure: Inability of the heart to keep up with the demands on it and, specifically, failure of the heart to pump blood with normal efficiency. When this occurs, the heart is unable to provide adequate blood flow to other organs such as the brain, liver and kidneys. Heart failure may be due to failure of the right or left or both ventricles. The signs and symptoms depend upon which side of the heart is failing. They can include shortness of breath (dyspnea), asthma due to the heart (cardiac asthma), pooling of blood (stasis) in the general body (systemic) circulation or in the liver's (portal) circulation, swelling ( edema ), blueness or duskiness (cyanosis), and enlargement (hypertrophy) of the heart.
Heart rate: The number of heart beats per unit time, usually per minute. The heart rate is based on the number of contractions of the ventricles (the lower chambers of the heart). The heart rate may be too fast ( tachycardia ) or too slow ( bradycardia ). The pulse is bulge of an artery from the wave of blood coursing through the blood vessel as a result of the heart beat. The pulse is often taken at the wrist to estimate the heart rate.
Lungs: The lungs are a pair of breathing organs located with the chest which remove carbon dioxide from and bring oxygen to the blood. There is a right and left lung.
Palpitations: Unpleasant sensations of irregular and/or forceful beating of the heart. In some patients with palpitations, no heart disease or abnormal heart rhythms can be found. In others, palpitations result from abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias). Arrhythmias refer to heartbeats that are too slow, too rapid, irregular, or too early.
Pulse: The rhythmic contraction and expansion of an artery due to the surge of blood from the beat of the heart. The pulse is most often measured by feeling the arteries of the wrist.
Stress: Forces from the outside world impinging on the individual. Stress is a normal part of life that can help us learn and grow. Conversely, stress can cause us significant problems.
Heart Health Terms
Angina: A 'tight' or 'heavy' pain caused by an inadequate supply of oxygen to the heart muscle; often triggered by exercise, stress or cold weather. Pain is typically felt across the chest, but may occur in the jaw, shoulder or arm. Unlike a heart attack, it doesn't damage the heart muscle and pain settles quickly.
Angioplasty or coronary angioplasty: A treatment to improve the blood supply through an artery. A catheter (a fine, hollow tube) with a small inflatable balloon at its tip is inserted into an artery in the groin and passed through to the narrowed coronary artery. The balloon is then gently inflated so that it squashes the cholesterol deposits causing the narrowing, and widens the artery.
Arrhythmia: Any abnormal rhythm of the heart beat.
Artery: A blood vessel that carries blood away from the heart.
Atherosclerosis: The process in which cholesterol deposits (plaques) cause narrowing and hardening of arteries.
Blood pressure: The pressure of the blood in the arteries expressed as the highest (systolic) over the lowest (diastolic) in millimetres of mercury (mmHg).
Body mass index (BMI): Your body weight in kilograms divided by the square of your height in metres. A BMI between 20-25 is considered normal.
Cardiac arrest: A complete halt in the pumping action of the heart or when it quivers or 'fibrillates' instead, causing the person to collapse.
Cardiovascular Disease (CVD): A disease of the heart or circulation; such as coronary heart disease or stroke.
Cholesterol: A white waxy substance mainly made in the body by the liver. Too much cholesterol can increase the risk of getting coronary heart disease.
Coronary arteries: The arteries supplying blood to the heart.
Coronary artery bypass surgery: An operation to bypass a narrowed section or sections or coronary arteries and improve the blood supply to the heart.
Coronary heart disease (CHD): Heart disease resulting from atherosclerosis in the coronary arteries: it may cause angina, a heart attack, or sudden death.
Coronary thrombosis: Formation of a blood clot in a coronary artery - a heart attack.
Defibrillator: A device that delivers a controlled electric shock through the chest wall to the heart, in order to restore a normal heartbeat.
Diabetes: The medical condition in which blood glucose levels rise as a result of inadequate production (or response to) insulin.
Diastole: The period in which the heart muscle relaxes between beats.
Diastolic blood pressure: When measuring blood pressure, the diastolic blood pressure is the lowest pressure, which happens in between heartbeats. It is the second and lower number recorded.
Essential hypertension: High blood pressure for which no specific cause is found.
Familial Hypercholesterolaemia: An inherited condition causing very high blood cholesterol levels. Drug treatment, in addition to lifestyle management, is essential to prevent early death from heart disease.
HDL-cholesterol: High-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Cholesterol in this form is being transported away from the artery walls. It is often called 'the good cholesterol' because higher levels of HDL-cholesterol are linked with lower risk of heart disease.
Heart Attack: Blockage of a coronary artery resulting in death of an area of heart muscle.
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): Replacement of the female hormone oestrogen (with or without progesterone) after output from the ovaries has declined or stopped.
LDL-cholesterol: Cholesterol in this form is sometimes called 'bad cholesterol' because it can be deposited in plaques, and higher levels are linked with higher death rates from heart disease.
mmol/L: A measure of concentration - the number of millimoles (mmols) of a substance in one litre (L) of a fluid. A millimole is the molecular weight (or atomic weight) in milligrams (mg). In the UK, cholesterol levels are expressed as millimoles of cholesterol in one litre of serum. In the USA, they measure mg/dL - milligrams per decilitre (one-tenth of a litre).
Monounsaturated fatty acids: Fatty acids in which only one area of the molecule is not saturated with hydrogen. Replacing saturates with monounsaturates helps to lower LDL-cholesterol without reducing HDL-cholesterol.
Myocardial infarction: A heart attack.
Myocardium: The heart muscle.
Omega-3 fatty acids: A type of fatty acid found in large quantities in oily fish such as herring, kippers, mackerel, pilchards, sardines, salmon, fresh tuna, trout and anchovies. Eating foods containing omega-3 fatty acids can help prevent blood clotting and help reduce triglyceride levels.
Plaques: Deposit, consisting of fatty substances such as cholesterol, hardened with fibrous matter and calcium, in an artery affected by atherosclerosis.
Polyunsaturated fatty acids: A type of fat found in foods from plants and fish, such as sunflower oil, fish oil and some margarines and spreads. Eating polyunsaturated fats rather than saturated fats helps to reduce the blood cholesterol level.
Saturated fatty acids: A type of fat found mainly in food from animal sources (particularly dairy and meat products).
Simvastatin: A type of statin (drug) used to reduce cholesterol levels.
Stanols and sterols: Can be added to foods to reduce absorption of cholesterol from the gut.
Stroke: Damage to part of the brain resulting from a breakdown in the blood supply (which can be caused by a thrombus, an embolus or a bleed). The consequences reflect the area of brain damaged and may include defects of speech, vision, sensation and movement.
Systolic blood pressure: When measuring blood pressure, systolic blood pressure is the highest pressure, which occurs when the beat or contraction of your heart forces the blood around the circulation. It is the first and highest number recorded.
Thrombosis: The formation of a blood clot within the circulation. Thrombosis in an artery can result in a heart attack or stroke.
Thrombus: A blood clot.
Trans fatty acids: Trans fatty acids have the same unwanted effects as saturated fatty acids. Hard margarines and hydrogenated vegetable oils are likely to contain high levels of trans fatty acids.
Triglycerides: Triglycerides are the chemical name for the fats found in our food and stored in our body. They are used as an energy source. The blood triglyceride concentration is measured as part of a fasting lipid test. If you have a high level of triglycerides and a low level of high-density cholesterol (good cholesterol) you have a greater risk of developing heart disease. Very high levels raise the risk of pancreatitis.
Unstable angina: Angina that has just developed for the first time, or which has recently got worse, or which happens while you are resting. You need to tell your doctor immediately and it may mean you have to be admitted to hospital.
Ventricular fibrillation: A life-threatening disturbance in the heart rhythm which causes the heart to quiver or 'fibrillate' in a chaotic way.
General Reference
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