Exercise That's Good For the Heart

People who exercise regularly reap various health rewards — many of which directly or indirectly affect heart health. Here's what regular activity can do for you.

1. Working out keeps your weight in check. Carrying excess weight can contribute to plaque buildup within your arteries, raising your risk of heart attack and stroke.
2. Exercisers typically have lower blood pressure. According to the American Heart Association, blood pressure is the force of blood that presses against the walls of your blood vessels when your heart pumps blood throughout your body. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute states that regular exercise strengthens your heart — and stronger hearts don't have to work as hard to pump blood, lowering blood pressure. Over time, high blood pressure can damage your heart and increase your risk of a heart attack or stroke.
3. Exercisers have lower blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Physical activity can naturally lower your triglyceride levels, improve HDL levels (or "good" cholesterol) and help your body use blood sugar more efficiently.
4. Activity lowers stress. People who exercise are often calmer and feel better overall. A stressful life is linked to sleeplessness, anxiety, obesity and lower immunity, but it also increases your risk of heart disease and stroke.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends adults perform 150 minutes of moderately intense or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise each week. Examples of moderate-intensity workouts include a leisurely bike ride, brisk walk or game of tennis. Running, hiking or swimming laps are vigorous activities. The American Heart Association advises that you stay within 50 to 85% of your maximum heart rate (that's 220 minus your age) during a workout.

No gym membership? No problem! Here are four gym-free ways to get your daily dose of cardiovascular exercise—including how many calories a 150-pound adult can burn during each activity:

• Walking. Whether you walk indoors, outdoors, alone or with a furry friend, walking offers numerous benefits, including a lower likelihood of heart disease, without the injury risk associated with running. A moderately paced, 30-minute walk burns 112 calories.
• Biking. A half-hour of moderate biking burns 136 calories. You burn even more at a faster rate. Harvard says biking 12 to 14 miles per hour can burn 298 calories in 30 minutes.
• Sports. Group activities hold you accountable; you're more likely to stick with activities you enjoy. Some recreational sports deliver the burn. Basketball, for example, burns 204 calories per half-hour.
• Household chores. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute counts 45 minutes of doing everyday chores as moderate physical activity. Forty minutes of cleaning burns the same calories as a 30-minute bike ride (136 calories). The American Heart Association considers heavy yard work like digging as vigorous activity.

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