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Give Your Heart A Healthy Beat

Begin an Exercise Plan That Will Work

Aerobic Exercise Strengthens Your Heart and Lungs

Exercise is an important part of keeping your heart healthy. It boosts the HDL (good) blood cholesterol level, helps control weight and blood pressure, strengthens bones, and gets the heart in shape.

Your heart is a muscle. Like your other muscles, when it's in shape, it will be able to work better so you'll have more energy. Besides working better, your heart may also work longer if you exercise. Studies show that people who regularly exercise three times a week for 30 minutes, live longer than people who are inactive. Any exercise is considered beneficial. Time spent in exercise can be cumulative.

Only some exercises tone the heart. Exercise that improves the condition of your heart (aerobic exercise) has three characteristics. For an activity to be considered aerobic, it must be:

1. Brisk, raising the heart and breathing rates.
2. Sustained, maintained for 30 to 60 minutes without interruption.
3. Regular, repeated at least 3 times a week.

Yard work, gardening, golf, and movement on the job can strengthen certain muscles and improve flexibility, but because these are start and stop activities, rather than nonstop, your heart won't benefit as much.

Exercise is an important part of a heart-healthy lifestyle. The challenge is to find aerobic exercises that you can do (ideally for the rest of your life).

Exercises that condition the heart and lungs include: aerobic dancing, bicycling, brisk walking, stationary cycling, hiking uphill, jogging, jumping rope, rowing, running in place, and swimming.

The following also can condition the heart and lungs if your workout is brisk, sustained, and regular: dancing, downhill skiing, basketball, calisthenics, racquetball, singles tennis, and volleyball.

These exercises do not condition the heart and lungs: baseball, bowling, softball, golf (on foot or by cart), and football.

All exercise is helpful even though it may not be aerobic.

Walking: Is It the Perfect Exercise?

Because no elaborate equipment is needed, because it can be done alone or with a group, and because it doesn't require a lot of athletic ability, 95 percent of all people who exercise to improve their heart choose walking.

Walking does require some equipment. You will need comfortable, supportive walking shoes. And you will need to dress for the weather. In hot weather choose cool, loose clothing. In cooler weather, choose one layer less than you would put on if you weren't exercising. Dress in layers so that you can remove one layer if you become too warm.

Plan ahead for bad weather. A rainy spell can throw you off if you haven't planned for it. Either add an umbrella to your walking wardrobe or find a place to walk inside on rainy days.

Plan out your walking route. Be sure to find a safe place to walk. If you don't want to walk in your own neighborhood, drive to another or ask your county or city recreation department about local walking tracks. Many malls also have walking programs.

Warning Signs of Excessive Exercise

While exercise is good for you, you can hurt yourself if you overdo. Warning signs of excessive exercise include:

1. Chest discomfort, like pain and tightness.

    

2. Faintness or clumsy movements.

    

3. Irregular heart rate or failure of your pulse rate to slow down following exercise.

    

4. Prolonged fatigue, even 24 hours after exercise.

    

5. Painful muscles and joints, especially the hip, knee, ankle, or foot. (You may need additional foot and arch support.)

Four Tips to Help You Stick with an Exercise Plan

Everyone begins a exercise program with the best of intentions, but some people have trouble sticking to it. Researchers have studied this problem, and they have found that people who remain with an exercise program have one or more of the following characteristics:

1. They plan exercise for a specific time of the day.

    

2. They work out with a partner. Exercise is more enjoyable with a friend. It's also harder to quit when someone is depending on you.

    

3. They start slowly. Long and steady wins the race, and there are no prizes for those who overdo on the first try.

    

4. They keep a written record of their exercise program. This written record may include things like length and type of exercise, and pulse rate before, during and after exercise (during cool-down).

Exercise Myths

Don't let any of these common exercise myths stand in the way of your exercise program.

Myth 1. Exercising makes you tired.
Most people feel that exercising gives them even more energy than before. Regular exercise can also relieve stress.

Myth 2. Exercising takes too much time.
Regular exercise doesn't have to take much more than 30 to 60 minutes, three or four times a week. Make exercise a regular part of your schedule.

Myth 3. All forms of exercise give you the same benefits.
Regular, brisk, sustained exercise, such as brisk walking, jogging, or swimming, strengthens your heart and lungs and burns off extra calories. Other activities can increase your flexibility and muscle strength.

Myth 4. The older you are, the less exercise you need.
As we get older we tend to be less physically active. It's not that we need less exercise, but we tend to get less exercise. Age is not a limitation, but your exercise program should be tailored to your fitness level.

Myth 5. You have to be athletic to exercise.
Many types of exercise do not require any special athletic abilities. Walking and stationary cycling can be done by people of all ability levels.

Your Target Heart Rate

If you are exercising to improve the condition of your heart and lungs, you need to exercise vigorously. On the other hand, you do not want to overdo. Use your target heart rate to determine if your level of exercise is appropriate. You can get a target heart rate from your doctor or you can use the following chart as a guideline. The rates are given in beats per minute.

25 years old, 117-146 beats per minute
30 years old, 114-142 beats per minute
35 years old, 111-138 beats per minute
40 years old, 108-135 beats per minute
45 years old, 105-131 beats per minute
50 years old, 102-127 beats per minute
55 years old, 99-123 beats per minute
60 years old, 96-120 beats per minute
65 years old, 93-116 beats per minute
70 years old, 90-113 beats per minute
75 years old, 87-109 beats per minute
80 years old, 84-105 beats per minute
85 years old, 81-101 beats per minute

Take your pulse while you are exercising. Compare your actual heart rate with your target heart rate. If your heart rate is below your target heart rate, increase your level of exertion. If it is higher than your target heart rate, slow down.

Do not ignore the warning signs of excessive exercise.

To Take Your Pulse

You can take your pulse at your wrist or over the carotid artery in your neck.

Hold your hand with the palm facing up and place the first two fingers (not your thumb) of your other hand on the thumb side of your wrist. Press gently and count the number of beats you feel for 10 seconds. Multiply this number by 6 to get your beats per minute.

To take your pulse at your neck, gently place your first two fingers over the blood vessel under your back part of your jaw and count the number of beats you feel for 10 seconds. Multiply this number by 6 to get your beats per minute.

Your Walking Workout

Your walking workout should include three stages:

1. Warm up
2. Working out to your target heart rate
3. Cool down

The following information is based on a 3-times-per-week exercise program in which you exercise once a day (for the specified duration) on alternate days. Always consult your doctor before starting any exercise program, and stop immediately if you experience any discomfort.

Warm Up

1. Find your target heart rate and record your starting pulse.
2. Stretch gently to loosen muscles.
3. Begin walking at a normal pace.
4. Gradually increase this pace.

Warm up for 5 to 6 minutes. Stretching prepares your muscles and joints for activity. Walking slowly allows your heart rate and breathing to increase gradually.

Work Out to Your Target Heart Rate

1. Walk vigorously, keeping your head and chest up while moving your arms in brisk even rhythms.
2. Midway through your walk, take your pulse.
3. Adjust your workout so that you are exercising within your target heart rate.
4. Continue walking vigorously until the time limit is up.

Build up slowly, starting with a 5-minute workout. Gradually increase this workout by 2 to 3 minutes each week. Aim for a 20- to 30-minute vigorous walking workout. Exercise regularly and walk at least three times each week.

Try to walk at a target heart rate that is near the top of your range. This helps your heart and lungs to use oxygen efficiently and safely. You will get fewer benefits if you work out below your target heart rate.

Cool Down

Gradually slow down your walking pace. Do not stop abruptly.

Take your pulse. Gently stretch to loosen your muscles.

Your cool down should last 5 to 6 minutes. Walking slowly allows your heart rate to return to its resting level.

Comparing Walking with Other Activities

Many people involved in exercise programs other than walking want to know how aerobics, swimming, biking, etc., compare to walking.

Choose the desired form of exercise.

• Aerobic dance, vigorous
• Bicycling 13 miles per hour
• Bicycling 15 miles per hour
• Bicycling 17 miles per hour
• Bicycling 19 miles per hour
• Golf, carrying clubs
• Rowing, vigorous
• Running, 5 miles per hour
• Running, 6 miles per hour
• Running, 10 miles per hour
• Swimming, 20 yards per minute
• Swimming, 45 yards per minute
• Swimming, 50 yards per minute
• Tennis, beginner

Enter your current weight.

Enter the number of minutes you did this exercise.

Submit figures

Clear form

You have expended the caloric equivalent of walking XX miles in XX minutes.

This document will allow you to calculate calories burned per pound of body weight per minute of activity. Count 100 calories spent as 1 mile walked.

1. Find your activity and the calories burned per pound per minute. (For example, if you enjoy vigorous aerobic dance, then the equivalency is .062 calories/pound/minute.)
2. Multiply your weight by the calories burned per pound per minute. (For example, if you weigh 142 pounds and your exercise is vigorous aerobic dance, then you multiply 142 times .062, which is equal to 8.8 calories per minute.)
3. Next, multiply the number of calories per minute (8.8 in the above example) by the number of minutes that you exercise. (If the person in our example did aerobic dance for 30 minutes, she or he would multiply 8.8 by 30 and get 264 calories used.)
4. Finally, divide the calories used by 100, because it takes about 100 calories to walk a mile. (The person in the example would divide 264 by 100, which equals 2.64. This person would have expended the calorie equivalent of walking 2.6 miles in half an hour.)

Here are the calories per pound per minute for various activities:

Aerobic dance, vigorous, .062 calories/pound/minute

Bicycling

• 13 miles per hour--.045 calories/pound/minute
  
• 15 miles per hour--.049 calories/pound/minute
  
• 17 miles per hour--.057 calories/pound/minute
  
• 19 miles per hour--.076 calories/pound/minute

Golf, carrying clubs--.045 calories/pound/minute

Rowing, vigorous--.097 calories/pound/minute

Running

• 5 miles per hour--.061 calories/pound/minute
• 6 miles per hour--.074 calories/pound/minute
• 10 miles per hour--.114 calories/pound/minute

Swimming

20 yards/minute--.032 calories/pound/minute 45 yards/minute--.058 calories/pound/minute 50 yards/minute--.070 calories/pound/minute

Tennis, beginner--.032 calories/pound/minute

North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service

Warning: This program is a heart disease risk reduction program consisting of information on healthful eating and walking, with an emphasis on your individual capabilities. There exists the possibility of certain biological changes occurring during your participation in the walking exercises. These changes include, but are not limited to: abnormal blood pressure, fainting, disorder of the heart beat, and in rare instances, heart attack or death. Thus, prior to participating in this exercise program, you should consult a physician.

The North Carolina Extension Service shall not be liable for any claims, demands, actions, or cause of action, whatsoever, to person or property arising out of or connected with participation in Give Your Heart a Healthy Beat.

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