Physical activity and heart health: how much is enough?
Regular movement is one of the best things you can do for your heart. Here is what the recommendations say and how to fit activity into a busy week.
Regular physical activity is one of the most effective ways to protect your heart and blood vessels. It lowers blood pressure, improves cholesterol and blood sugar, helps with weight control, reduces low-grade inflammation and improves sleep and mood. The good news is that you do not need to train like an athlete to benefit.
What the recommendations say
The World Health Organization recommends that adults do:
- at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity a week, such as brisk walking, cycling or swimming at a relaxed pace, or
- at least 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity, such as running, fast cycling or sports that make you breathe hard, or a combination of the two
- muscle-strengthening activities on at least two days a week
- and as little sitting as possible, breaking up long periods of sitting with movement
Moderate intensity means that you breathe faster and feel warmer but can still talk. Vigorous intensity means that you can only say a few words before you need to catch your breath.
Every bit counts
Activity does not have to be done in long sessions. A ten-minute walk after each meal adds up. People who go from doing almost nothing to doing a little gain the most, so if 150 minutes feels far away, start where you are. Taking the stairs, cycling to work, gardening and playing with children all count.
How exercise helps the heart
During exercise, the heart muscle and blood vessels adapt. Over time the heart pumps more blood with each beat, the resting heart rate falls and the blood vessels become more elastic. Regular activity lowers blood pressure, as described in our article on high blood pressure, and raises HDL cholesterol. Muscles that are worked use more sugar from the blood, which lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Exercise also has an anti-inflammatory effect. During a workout, levels of some inflammatory markers rise briefly, but in people who exercise regularly the long-term levels of low-grade inflammation are lower. That is part of the link between inflammation and heart disease that we describe in the research background.
Starting safely
For most healthy people, starting with moderate activity such as walking is safe. Increase gradually over a few weeks. Talk to your doctor before starting a more strenuous programme if you have heart disease, high blood pressure that is not under control, diabetes, or if you have symptoms such as chest pain, palpitations or unusual breathlessness when you exert yourself.
Stop and seek care straight away if you get chest pain, feel faint or have a very irregular heartbeat during exercise.
Tips for sticking with it
- Choose activities you enjoy; you are more likely to keep doing them.
- Plan activity into your week like any other appointment.
- Exercise with a friend or join a group.
- Combine activity with other goals, such as walking to the shops.
- Use a step counter or app if it motivates you, as described in digital health: apps and wearables.
Together with a healthy diet, not smoking and good sleep, regular movement is the foundation of a healthy heart.
This article is general information and not medical advice. If you have symptoms or questions about your own health, talk to a doctor. In an emergency, call your local emergency number.
