L. Patel Medical And Heart Centre

Exercise is one of the best things one can do for themselves to stay fit and healthy. Regular exercise will always be a great idea for the normal functioning of the body. 

Exercises play a vital role in controlling or minimizing heart issues. They greatly help in maintaining good blood circulation. They are also helpful in maintaining blood pressure, cholesterol, weight, and increasing energy levels. 

Exercises do help to prevent heart disease, but it is important to do right exercises in right amount.

How Often and How Long Should One Exercise?

If the person is not active, 20 to 30 minutes of Aerobic session for at least four times a week is good enough. However, the more the person can do, the better the result will be. 

If a person is already physically active, more exercise time is recommended, to really tone the body.

The amount of exercise also depends upon stamina of the particular person.

What type of Exercise is Beneficial for Heart Disease?

For heart disease, one can always go for exercises that make fasten the heartbeat.

Exercises like Cardio, Weight Lifting and Aerobics are one of the best exercises for heart diseases. For those, who are looking for exercises for joint problems as well, swimming and walking are good options.

Some of the Best Exercises for Heart Diseases:

1. Cardio Exercises

The Cardio exercises fasten the heartbeat and also lower down the blood pressure level. Depending upon the prescription of the cardiologist, one can perform Cardio exercises like Walk, Jog, Jump rope, Bicycle, Skipping, Skate, Row, Dance, etc.

2. Aerobics

Aerobic exercise like biking, swimming, playing soccer and hiking uphill, can help in increasing heart rate, decreasing blood pressure and improving blood circulation. These may also be effective in lowering blood sugar.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, every adult should get at least two hours and 30 minutes of moderate-intensity Aerobic exercises per week.

3. Strength training

Resistance training or Strength training is another way to lower the risk of heart diseases. Performing strength training twice a week will help in decreasing the bad cholesterol and raising good cholesterol. 

Ideally, strength training is combined with Aerobics in sets with 8-12 repetitions. 

Some of the strength training exercises are lifting free weights, exercise with resistance bands, pushups, sit-ups, squats, lunges, crunches, etc. 

Why Yoga? A promising way to prevent Heart Disease

• According to Cunningham, who has taught Yoga for 40 years, it can be used as a preventive measure for heart diseases. 
• Yoga can help improve respiratory function, increase heart rate, boost circulation, lower blood pressure, increase lung capacity, and muscle tone.
• Yoga can also be beneficial for those who have faced Heart attack or Cardiac arrest. Most patients go through depression after Bypass surgery; Yoga also helps to get rid of depression and anxiety. It also helps in reducing emotional stress. 
• Some of the effective Yoga Postures are Boat Pose (Paripurna Navasana), Extended Triangle Pose (utthita trikona), Feathered Peacock Pose (pinca mayura), Handstand (adho mukha vrksasana), Hero Pose (veer-AHS-anna), Low Lunge, Supported Headstand (salamba alamba sirsa), and many more.
• Yoga and other exercises help in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. However, one should always consult a trainer or doctor before doing these exercises. Also, these exercises should always be accompanied by a healthy diet, to really make these exercises effective. Eating a burger after a Yoga session is never going to be a good idea.
   

Heart diseases are very common nowadays and can affect individuals of any age. Heart diseases can be fatal and even result in death if the affected person is not diagnosed at the right time. Below are some tests that one must conduct regularly to take care of one's heart.

• Lipid Tests - Lipid tests are conducted to check if there are any kind of risks related to the lipids of a person's body. Lipid tests help to screen different problems related to cholesterol levels and triglycerides which are responsible for different cardiovascular problems. It can also help to detect any kind of genetic disorder which results in cardiovascular diseases that may affect the heart in a serious way.

• Cardiac Risk Marker Profile Test: The cardiac risk marker profile test is known as a group of health tests that are required to be performed to ascertain if someone has a chance of suffering from cardiovascular diseases like heart attack or heart stroke.

• Echocardiogram - This is an ultrasound test of heart which checks whether there is any problem with the heart valves and blood chambers. Through this process, the doctor will be also able to understand how strongly the heart is pumping blood to your body. It is conducted with the help of probe on the chest or can also be inserted through the oesophagus.

• Electrocardiogram - This is a very common test, which a person with a weak heart can undergo. Small sticky dots and wires are attached to the person's chest, arms and legs which enables the doctor to check if there are any abnormalities in or around your heart.
• Stress Echocardiogram - Significant stress levels can also be harmful to your heart. In this test, a radioactive substance is inserted into the bloodstream and in return, it echoes back an ultrasound which helps to detect how strongly the heart is beating or if there is any blockage in the valves.

Along with regular testing of the heart, it is important to conduct a full body health checkup at least once a year to get tested for liver function, kidney function and thyroid function.