Daily exercise good for heart

Manav Mander

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, February 19

Just a few hours of exercise adding to the daily routine can help in keeping the heart healthy. Sedentary lifestyle is one of the major reasons behind many disease and heart diseases being the one.

Recently, Dr Rajneesh Kapoor, a senior cardiologist from Gurugram, conducted a study and found that through latest technology, one is able to safeguard the lives of heart patients to complete safe level, but it is more important that these incidences must be prevented.

“Heart in danger due to sedentary lifestyle can be made safe again by adding just a few hours of regular exercise a week. Sedentary lifestyle puts people at risk of hypertension, diabetes, obesity and coronary artery disease, all of which are well-known triggers for heart attack, cardiac arrest and heart failure. The lives of most of the people with excessive sedentary lifestyle hence remain at risk of many fatal attacks,” said he.

Dr Rajneesh, director – Interventional Cardiologist at Medanta Hospital, Gurugram, said, “We hypothesised that since exercise has a potential to prevent onset of many diseases, it should be equally good in reducing risk in people with long sedentary past.”

In the study, 40 individuals were enrolled who were living a sedentary lifestyle, aged between 40 to 55 years. They were assessed for physical fitness through a questionnaire and their oxygen uptake (VO2 Max) levels were recorded.

The study population was divided into two parts, half of which were given exercise routine for 15 days while another half was asked to carry on with previous lifestyle. The exercise routine given asked subjects to do workout for 30 minutes a day for 15 days, be it in form of cycling, brisk walking, weight training or even dancing.

The study results found that oxygen uptake values in exercise group increased by 20 to 25 per cent, hence making it change from average to good. The values remained average for the other group.

The study findings highlight the effects of regular exercise on the functions on cardiovascular and respiratory system. In just 15 days, regular and daily exercise of 30-40 minutes a day caused VO2 max levels to change from average to good, which is very significant.

“Our study suggests even in people with long sedentary past, regular exercise can do wonders. People can expect healthy heart, prevention in the onset of hypertension or diabetes, better control on blood pressure and sugar in patients with hypertension and diabetes, lowering of bad cholesterol and overall improvement in all health markers,” said Dr Rajneesh.

“To get the most benefit, people need to start before the age of 65. They must also workout four to five times a week, varying intensity and duration. It’s not something that gets added onto the end of the day. You brush your teeth, you change your clothes, you eat your food .You do these things for personal hygiene. Exercise is as important as these. You need to find ways to incorporate,” said a city-based cardiologist.

Kaual, a city-based gym instructor, adding further said many people come to him complaining of hypertension or other problems like backache etc. “All these problems occur due to lack of activity in their lives. Once they start exercising regularly, all these problems vanish. Including physical activity in any form at least five days a week is compulsory for every individual,” he said.