Heart disease is one of the major causes of death worldwide. In the United States, one in every four deaths is because of it.
Regular physical activity is one of the most accessible and easy ways to support your heart. It has a direct and positive relationship with your heart health.
Even modest increases in activity levels can significantly reduce your risk of heart disease.
Physical activity is any movement your muscles make that requires energy.
Blood pressure is the force your blood exerts on the walls of your arteries.
When you exercise, your heart beats faster and pumps more blood.
This temporarily increases the amount of blood your heart sends to your body (cardiac output).
Over time, your body adjusts and your resting blood pressure goes down.
If your body doesn’t use insulin properly, glucose stays in your blood.
To compensate, your body uses more fat for energy, which releases fatty acids that can build up in blood vessels and lead to artery disease.
High blood glucose levels from insulin resistance can also create compounds that make artery walls stiff.
Regular physical activity improves insulin sensitivity, preventing these harmful processes.
One major benefit of physical activity is how it affects the lipoproteins in your blood.
Endurance exercises like jogging, brisk walking, cycling help increase your levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), often referred to as “good cholesterol,” and lower triglyceride levels.
These changes reduce your risk of coronary heart disease by helping prevent plaque buildup in arteries.
During exercise, increased blood flow causes blood vessels to release compounds like nitric oxide and prostacycline, which relax your vessel walls and improve blood flow.
Staying active lowers risk of long-term inflammation and and release of harmful substances that damage cells.
These processes are linked to plaque buildup in arteries. By reducing inflammation, your blood vessels are protected and this supports heart health.
Physical activity helps your body produce red blood cells that carry oxygen, white blood cells that fight infections, and platelets that help with blood clotting.
These contribute to stronger cardiovascular health and can prevent disease from worsening.
Regular physical activity lowers your risk of type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, falls, bone fractures, and depression.
Even if you already have heart disease, staying active can help you do more without pain and reduce the risk of heart attacks.
Exercise helps your heart by reducing body fat.
Extra body fat, especially around the abdomen, increases pressure inside blood vessels.
When you lose weight, your heart doesn’t have to work as hard to pump blood, because there is less tissue to supply with oxygen.
Weight loss can also lower resistance in arteries and improve heart health over time.
A good exercise routine should include aerobic exercise, resistance training, and range-of-motion activities.
Each type of exercise contributes to different aspects of heart health.
1. Aerobic activities such as walking, cycling, hiking, and gardening improve cardiovascular fitness.
They are enjoyable and accessible, which makes them easier to stick with over time.
2. Resistance training builds and strengthens major muscle groups.
You can do this with weight lifting, bodyweight exercises, or other resistance-based activities that target the main muscle groups. This helps with heart health and improves physical strength.
3. Range-of-motion and stretching exercises such as yoga can lower stress and improve several heart risk factors, including heart rate.
All these types of exercise support your heart and your overall health
The American Heart Association recommends regular physical activity of moderate intensity to help prevent and treat several diseases.
The AHA suggests that everyone should get at least 30 minutes of physical activity most days of the week, as it offers many health benefits.
The World Health Organization recommends:
Exercise is most effective when combined with other healthy habits like:
Since the benefits of physical activity build up over time, staying active regularly is the most important way to protect your heart health.
The connection between physical activity and your heart health is clear.
In simple terms, being physically active helps your heart by strengthening the cardiovascular system, lowering your risk of diseases and improving your overall health.
Whether through planned exercise or everyday movement, staying active is one of the most reliable ways to protect your heart and improve your long-term health.
Read more about how exercise strengthens your heart naturally.
1. Isath, A., Koziol, K. J., Martinez, M. W., Garber, C. E., Martinez, M. N., Emery, M. S., Baggish, A. L., Naidu, S. S., Lavie, C. J., Arena, R., & Krittanawong, C. (2023). Exercise and cardiovascular health: A state-of-the-art review. Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases, 79, 44–52. Available here.
2. Nystoriak, M. A., & Bhatnagar, A. (2018). Cardiovascular effects and benefits of exercise. Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine, 5, 135. Available here
3. Agarwal, S. (2012). Cardiovascular benefits of exercise. International Journal of General Medicine, 5, 541. Available here
Disclaimer
The information on this website is provided for general educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a qualified healthcare provider.