How does exercise contribute to heart health?
Exercise has many benefits to your overall health, explains UAB Exercise Physiologist and manager of the UAB Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Program Chris Schuman. “Exercise can help control blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar and can decrease body weight. Most importantly, it helps strengthen the heart, resulting in a more efficient pump, contributing to better circulation throughout the body. A healthier heart doesn’t have to work as hard at rest or during submaximal exercise.” When you exercise, you are strengthening the heart muscle and prolonging its life. What exercises are best at working your heart? Cardiovascular exercise is the best at strengthening the heart. “Walking may be the most favorable exercise, because most people can easily do it – you just lace up your shoes and go,” Schuman says. “But any type of exercise that gets you moving is the key. Begin with cardio, or aerobic, exercise, and then you can try resistance training. This will complement the cardio by bu
