Exercise: Your Heart Needs It Too

Women are at risk for heart disease and heart attacks, just like men. In fact, heart disease is the leading cause of death among women over 65. American women are 4 to 6 times more likely to die of heart disease than of breast cancer. Heart disease kills more women over 65 than all cancers combined. While, women develop heart problems later in life than men (typically 7 or 8 years later), by about age 65 a woman's risk is almost the same as a man's. In the past few decades men’s mortality rates due to heart disease have declined, while women’s mortality rates have risen slightly. It is important that women know they are at risk so they can start taking the steps to prevent heart disease. The most common cause of heart disease is a narrowing or complete blockage of the coronary arteries, also known as coronary artery disease.

Extensive medical research has identified the major heart disease risk factors for women. Some, like aging or heredity, are things you can't change. But there are many other factors affecting women that you can do something about. Some of these factors include smoking, lack of exercise, obesity, stress, depression, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes. I will focus on the role exercise can play in preventing heart disease in women.

Prevention is important. Many women do not know they are at risk until it is too late. Two thirds of women who have heart attacks fail to make a recovery. Studies have shown that regular exercise improves your heart health. Remember, your heart is a muscle meaning it too needs exercise to stay in shape. According to the Mayo Clinic, regularly participating in moderately vigorous physical activity can reduce your risk of fatal heart disease. Regular exercise not only strengthens your heart, but also helps eliminate many of the other preventable causes of heart disease.

Physical activity helps you control your weight and can reduce your chances of developing other conditions that may put a strain on your heart, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. It also reduces stress, which may also be a factor in heart disease. It is recommended that you get at least 30 to 60 minutes of moderately intense exercise 4 to 6 days per week. Some examples include brisk walking, riding bike, or jogging. However, even shorter amounts of exercise offer heart benefits, so if you can't meet those guidelines, don't give up. You can even break up your workout time into 10-minute sessions and still get the same benefits. Some good ways to “sneak” in exercise are to walk to work, park farther away at the supermarket, take the stairs, or get off the bus one or two stops before your normal stop and walk the rest of the way.

Heart disease is a serious disease in both women and men, but it can easily be prevented. If we take the time to get proper exercise and eat right we un-seat heart disease as the number one cause of death in women over 65 years of age.

Sources: American Academy of Family Physicians. (2006). Heart Disease and Heart Attacks: What Women Need To Know. Retrieved September 28, 2009, from FamilyDoctor.org Website: http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/common/heartdisease/risk/287.html

American College of Cardiology. (1999) Preventing Heart Disease What Women Need To Know. Retrieved September 28, 2009, from American College of Cardiology Website: http://www.acc.org/media/patient/prevention/woman.htm

Mayo Clinic Staff. (2009). 5 Medication-Free Strategies To Help Prevent Heart Disease. Retrieved September 28, 2009, from Mayo Clinic Website: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/heart-disease-prevention/WO00041

Women’s Heart Foundation. (2007). Purple Ribbon Campaign. Retrieved September 28, 2009, from Women’s Heart Foundation Website: http://www.womensheart.org/content/Outreach/PurpleRibbonCampaign/whatis_purpleribboncampaign.asp