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Walking for a healthy heart
Introduction
Walking is a form of aerobic exercise and is one of the easiest
ways to increase your physical activity and improve your health. Physical
activity increases your heart rate, strengthens your heart, and increases blood
circulation through your body, bringing more oxygen and nutrients to your
organs. Exercise also increases your lungs' ability to take in oxygen, lowers
blood pressure, helps to reduce body fat, and improves blood sugar and
cholesterol levels.
Key points:
- Have a checkup before beginning an exercise
program. If you have heart problems, your doctor may want to do tests to find out
how much activity your heart can safely handle.
- Start out slowly at
first, with a warm-up in the beginning, a faster pace in the middle, and a
cooldown at the end.
- To stay motivated, walk with friends,
coworkers, or pets. Set goals you can reach.
- Use a pedometer to
count your steps. Wear it all day and try to take at least 2,000 more steps a
day than you normally do, and gradually increase your steps over time.
- Try to walk briskly for at least 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week
or more. Work up to 60 minutes, if possible.
- A recent study shows that if you have heart
problems, a home walking program may be as beneficial
as participating in a hospital- or clinic-based cardiac rehabilitation
program.1 This can be important for people who don't
have access to organized cardiac rehab.
What do I need to know about starting a walking program?
Why is walking good for my heart?
How can I stay motivated with a walking program?
Where to go from here
Return to topic:
What do I need to know about starting a walking program?
Try to make a daily walk an essential part of your day. It isn't
necessary to walk an entire 30 minutes at a time; getting more activity
throughout the day will be just as good. Accumulating activity throughout the
day helps burn calories and maintain your weight.
Small activities such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator
or parking far away and walking to your destination can add up quickly to the
recommended 30 minutes of activity. Be creative. Instead of e-mailing or
phoning a coworker, get up and walk to his or her desk. If you need to meet
with someone, suggest taking a walk instead of staying inside.
To get the heart-healthy benefits of walking, you need to walk
briskly enough to increase your pulse and breathing, but not so fast that you
can't talk comfortably.
Test Your Knowledge
-
It isn't necessary to walk the recommended 30 minutes
all at once each day. It's just as beneficial to spread my activity throughout
the day.
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True
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False
Continue to Why is walking good for my heart?
Return to Walking for a healthy heart
Why is walking good for my heart?
Your heart is a muscle with fibers that allow it to contract and
pump blood. When used during aerobic exercise, the heart becomes more efficient
and pumps more blood with each heartbeat. Exercise, such as walking, also
increases your muscles' ability to take oxygen from the blood. A more efficient
heart can pump more blood with each heartbeat and deliver more oxygen and
nutrients to other organs.
Test Your Knowledge
-
Walking is a form of aerobic exercise that elevates
the heart rate and increases the efficiency of the heart.
-
True
-
False
Continue to How can I stay motivated with a walking program?
Return to Walking for a healthy heart
How can I stay motivated with a walking program?
One of the best ways to stay motivated to walk is to include other
people. Ask friends and coworkers to join you. Join a walking group or club.
- Buy a pedometer at a sporting goods store. Wear
it every day and count your steps. The first time you wear it, count how many
steps you normally take in a day. Set a goal for increasing it each day or
week. Try to start with an increase of 2,000 steps a day and work toward
10,000. Get others to join you and set goals as a group.
- Walk
before or after work or on your lunch break. Instead of taking a snack or
coffee break, take a walk break.
- If the weather is bad, take
comfortable shoes to the mall and walk several laps inside.
- Walk to
work, school, the grocery store, or a restaurant.
- Walk around your
neighborhood, around an entire park, or to do errands.
- Schedule
walks on your business calendar. Turn a walk into a brainstorming session with
a coworker.
- Wear comfortable shoes and socks that cushion your
feet.
- Drink plenty of water. Take a bottle with you when you walk.
- Be safe and know your surroundings. Walk in a well-lighted, safe
place.
- Plan family outings around walks together.
- Take your dog on a walk.
- Set
a goal to participate in an organized fitness walk.
Test Your Knowledge
-
Buying a pedometer or step counter is an easy way to
motivate yourself to walk more.
-
True
-
False
Continue to Where to go from here
Return to Walking for a healthy heart
Where to go from here
Now that you have read this information, you are ready to plan a
walking program that suits you.
Talk with your health professional
If you have questions about this information, take it with you when
you visit your health professional.
If you would like more information on cardiac rehabilitation, the
following resources are available:
Organizations
| American Heart Association (AHA) |
| 7272 Greenville Avenue |
| Dallas, TX 75231 |
| Phone: | 1-800-AHA-USA1 (1-800-242-8721) |
| Web Address: | www.americanheart.org |
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Call the American Heart Association (AHA) to find your nearest
local or state AHA group. The AHA can provide brochures and information on
support groups and community programs, including Mended Hearts, a nationwide
organization whose members visit heart patients and provide information and
support. AHA's Web site also has health information on various heart-related
conditions.
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| American College of Cardiology |
| 2400 N Street NW |
| Washington, DC 20037 |
| Phone: | (202) 375-6000 |
| Fax: | (202) 375-7000 |
| E-mail: | resource@acc.org |
| Web Address: | www.acc.org |
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Contact the American College of Cardiology (ACC) for information
about heart disease. The mission of the ACC is to work for quality health care
for patients with heart disease. The organization provides education, promotes
research, and creates management guidelines and standards of care for heart
disease.
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Return to Walking for a healthy heart
References
Citations
-
Covera-Tindel T, et al. (2004). Effects of a home
walking exercise program on functional status and symptoms in heart failure.
American Heart Journal, 147(2): 339–346.
Credits
| Author | Robin Parks, MS |
| Editor | Kathleen M. Ariss, MS |
| Associate Editor | Pat Truman |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Caroline S. Rhoads, MD - Internal Medicine |
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | Cheryl Allind, RN, BS - Cardiac Rehabilitation |
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | Neil J. Stone, MD, FACC, FACP - Internal Medicine, Cardiology |
| Last Updated | October 16, 2006 |
True
This answer is correct.
Experts recommend 30 minutes of moderate exercise, which is
equal to brisk walking, at least 5 days a week. But it isn't necessary to do it
all at once. Breaking it up during the day into chunks, such as three 10-minute
walks, is just as beneficial.
False
This answer is incorrect.
Experts recommend 30 minutes of moderate exercise, which is
equal to brisk walking, at least 5 days a week. But it isn't necessary to do it
all at once. Breaking it up during the day into chunks, such as three 10-minute
walks, is just as beneficial.
True
This answer is correct.
Walking briskly increases your heart rate and increases the
efficiency of your heart. A more efficient heart can pump more blood through
your body, which circulates more blood and nutrients to other organs.
False
This answer is incorrect.
Walking briskly increases your heart rate and increases the
efficiency of your heart. A more efficient heart can pump more blood through
your body, which circulates more blood and nutrients to other organs.
True
This answer is correct.
A pedometer or step counter can help you determine how
active (or inactive) you are throughout the day. After you know your
level of activity, you can set goals to increase your steps, and your fitness,
throughout the day.
False
This answer is incorrect.
A pedometer or step counter can help you determine how
active (or inactive) you are throughout the day. After you know your
level of activity, you can set goals to increase your steps, and your fitness,
throughout the day.
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| Author: | Robin Parks, MS | Last Updated: October 16, 2006 |
| Medical Review: | Caroline S. Rhoads, MD - Internal Medicine
Cheryl Allind, RN, BS - Cardiac Rehabilitation
Neil J. Stone, MD, FACC, FACP - Internal Medicine, Cardiology |
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