The Heart-Healthy Perks of Exercising
Getting active will tone your body and make you stronger – and also help keep you healthier.
Article By: Amanda Genge
My Heart Loves Activity
Many of us make New Year's resolutions that we hope will impact our health. Maybe you started by improving your diet. Now that we're a month into the new year, and celebrating American Heart Month, why not commit to making another healthy change: becoming more fit.

It doesn't have to mean sweating for hours at the gym; every extra minute of activity you do can be good for your heart. It doesn't take a lot of effort to increase daily activity. Even fitting in a 5-minute walk or doing a few moves with a workout video can be helpful. "Exercise is cumulative, and any exercise is better than none," says Alice Lichtenstein, D.Sc., chair of the American Heart Association's Nutrition Committee and professor of nutrition science and policy at Tufts University in Boston. "Don't feel discouraged if you can't exercise for 30 minutes uninterrupted. Just try to increase the duration a little bit each day."

A true win-win
Cardiovascular exercise improves collateral circulation, which means that more blood and oxygen reach the heart muscle to nourish it, explains Lichtenstein. And even if you suffer from health problems like high blood pressure or cholesterol, research has shown that being physically fit can still lower your heart disease risk.

"Plus, you just feel better when you exercise, and once you feel better, that's positive reinforcement to maintain a weight-loss regime," says Lichtenstein. Once you start to become more active, you'll probably notice increased energy so everyday tasks like walking up stairs and carrying heavy packages will become easier, too.

Start small and build slowly, going at a pace that's comfortable, until you have a regular routine in place. Your heart will thank you for every single minute of activity you do!