How Exercises are Good for Heart Disease

What is a heart attack?

“Do not take an elevator if you can climb the stairs. Do not ride if you can walk. Do not walk if you can run”- Dr. Hellerstein, an American cardiologist.

Heart attack is the condition when the heart muscles experience sudden chocked up of oxygen-rich blood into it.

The free flow of oxygen gets disturbed due to plaque formation and waxy substances inside coronary arteries. Condition such as hypertension, myocardial infarction, atherosclerosis, arrhythmias, heart disease and strokes, all comes under the group of cardiovascular disease. In all these diseases, the demand-supply of oxygen into the heart get imbalance, which leads to chronic conditions. In nutshell, we can say that a heart attack is the death of heart muscles due to the paucity of oxygen.

Industrialization, modernization, and progressive increase in the wealth and riches reduced the physical culture and enhanced the leisurely and sedentary comfortable lifestyle. The number of people dying due to heart attack is increasing day by day. So strategies for heart disease prevention and how to avoid heart attack should be the utmost important priorities in today’s lifestyle. There are many ways to prevent heart disease but physical exercise and changes in lifestyles are the two very important components in reducing the risk of coronary heart disease. In the developed countries, heart attacks are the leading factor for deaths, especially in America, heart disease is one of the biggest culprits of deaths both in women and men.

What are the causes of heart attacks?

There are many factors, which are responsible for heart attack, yet the lack of physical activity is playing a vital role.

• Lack of physical exercise
• If somebody has rheumatoid arthritis, the risk factor of heart attacks increases twice.
• Formation of fatty deposits in the inner linings of arteries.
• Age (male after 45 years and female after 55 years)
• High blood cholesterol levels
• Sedentary and leisurely comfortable life
• Diabetes
• Excess consumption of animal fats/saturated fats
• Drugs like cocaine
• Emotional stress
• Obesity
• Exposure to extreme cold
• Smoking
• Hereditary factor
• High blood pressure
• Stress & tension

Symptoms

There are many signs and symptoms associated with heart attacks. Some of the important symptoms are:

• Chest pain
• Shortness of breath
• Dizziness
• Restlessness
• Fear of death
• Vomiting, nausea, and cough
• Experiencing tiredness for no reason
•  Lack of appetite
• Signs of irregular pulse
• Sweating
• Swelling
• Weakness
• Upper body pain
• Stomach pain
• Lightheadedness
• Feeling of pain to the shoulders, neck, and arms

Heart disease in the USA

Heart disease is the leading disease killer in the United States of America (USA).  The most common form of heart disease in the USA is coronary artery disease which is responsible for heart attack.  One in every four death in the USA is accounted for heart attacks. In every 33 seconds, one death is reported due to cardiovascular disease and complications. Approximately, 6 lakh deaths are occurred annually due to heart attacks. Coronary heart disease is killing about 4 lakh Americans annually. As far as heart attack is concerned, a total of 7.15 lakh people experienced this disease per annum. The astonishing facts of heart disease in the USA are that more people die due to this disease than AIDS and cancer. Cardiovascular disease alone costs $108 billion to the exchequer of the USA.

How to treat heart disease?

A healthy lifestyle, healthy physical exercise healthy diet, and proper medication help to avoid heart disease and cardiovascular-related complications. Aerobic exercises are very important curative tools for people with heart disease. These aerobic exercises maintain your fat levels, reduces bad cholesterol, promote healthy weight, reduce stress & tension, thus the safest remedial means to prevent heart attacks and heart disease problems. The risk of cardiovascular complications can be minimized by lowering bad cholesterol, LDL, and waxy deposition of fats in the inner linings of arteries and veins. Attention should be given to measure CRP in the age of 20s and 30’s to minimize the risk of heart diseases and strokes after the 50s. These preventive measures prevent and reverse heart disease.

Exercises avoid heart disease

There are many simple exercises that help to avoid heart disease and heart attacks.  In a recent study, it has been observed that men engaged in active physical works such as swimming, brisk walk, running, vigorous jobs, etc., the relative risk of developing coronary disease reduces by 40 percent. Exercise reduces myocardial infarction that generally develops due to blood clots.

Exercises, which have to be encouraged for cholesterol-free hearts are morning and evening walk, tennis, badminton or golf, swimming, running, skipping, rope jumping, calisthenics, etc.

Vigorous physical exercise helps in protecting against heart disease. Long-term physical activity is important in maintaining body weight and muscle mass as well as lowering blood pressure and triglycerides.

Exercises benefits for heart attacks

Exercises help in the redistribution of blood flow to the various vital organs of the body like the heart, lung, brain, kidney, and muscles, etc., which account for 80 to 90 percent of oxygen consumption. Heart rate goes up with the optimum level of blood pressure, which ensures blood supply to the various organs, thus increases results in better and efficient performance by them. Sports and physical activity induces a sense of well being. Active lives and rigorous physical exercise tend to reduce weight and decrease the plasma triglyceride levels by 20 to 40 percent.

To maintain a healthy heart, the best option for the person to do regular exercise. Doing regular physical exercise combined with participation in sports, Yoga, and Ayurveda help to maintain holistic life.

If somebody wants to start physical exercise, it is better to follow the principle of “please go slow”. A weekend athlete is more dangerous than a no-athlete. Initially, exercise should be light and moderate and gradually increases its intensity.

In a study, it has been also proved that exercise increases the formation and growth of new coronary channels in the heart. A survey has also confirmed that the incidence of death rate in the case of heart attack persons is more than those who are doing physical activity.

Tips to Prevent Heart Attacks

There are many simple tips, which are helpful in avoiding heart attacks. These natural tips should be on the priority list to combat heart attacks.

1. Do regular exercise
2. Do not tire yourself to exhaustion since it can be more dangerous than not doing any exercise.
3. Practice Yoga
4. Avoid stress and try to search mood elevator and stress buster ways.
5. Avoid Non-vegetarian food
6. Avoid fast and junk foods
7. Get checked your blood cholesterol levels from your physician regularly.
8. Blood pressure should be under control.
9. Smoking should be avoided.
10. A balanced, healthy, and naturopathic diet should be encouraged.
11. Sound sleep is a must.
12. Diabetes patients should take the utmost precautions.
13. Avoid alcohol and excessive use of beverages
14. Avoid smoking
15.  Losing weight and maintaining ideal body weight are good initiations.
16. Housewives should do exercise as keeping themselves busy with household works throughout the day is not enough to maintain a healthy heart.
17. Vitamins and antioxidants play a key role in heart attack prevention.