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Heart Health
To lower heart risk, pump up your exercise efforts
- By Julie Corliss, Executive Editor, Harvard Heart Letter
Research we're watching
To improve heart health, increasing the volume or intensity of your exercise helps — and boosting both is even better, new research suggests.
The study, published Dec. 7, 2022, in the European Heart Journal, included more than 88,000 adults ages 40 to 69 who were free of heart disease. For a week, the participants wore wrist activity trackers, which are particularly good for capturing sporadic bouts of differing intensity during the day.
After a median follow-up of 6.8 years, the researchers found that higher amounts of physical activity were associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease.
But including more moderate-intensity activity in your daily routine may lower risk even more, say the authors. As examples, they suggest converting a 14-minute stroll into a seven-minute brisk walk, or doing your regular household chores at a faster pace.
Image: © Luis Alvarez/Getty Images
About the Author
Julie Corliss, Executive Editor, Harvard Heart Letter
Disclaimer:
As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles.
No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.
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Strength and Power Training for Older Adults
Studies attest that strength training, as well as aerobic exercise, can help you manage and sometimes prevent conditions as varied as heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, and osteoporosis. It can also protect vitality, make everyday tasks more manageable, and help you maintain a healthy weight. Strength and Power Training for Older Adults answers your strength training questions and helps you develop a program that's right for you.
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