Exercise and Heart Health: What You Should Know

Just like taking medicine and eating healthy foods, exercise is an important part of managing heart disease. Because everyone’s health is different, talk to your doctor before starting a hard or intense exercise routine. Most people can begin with light exercise and slowly increase over time. If you have both heart disease and type 1 diabetes, you may need to adjust your food or insulin. A diabetes educator or dietitian can help you with this.

Start and End Your Workout Safely

Begin your workout with a warm-up, like a few minutes of easy walking. End your workout with a cool down — again, a few minutes of slow walking. You can also ask an exercise specialist to show you some good stretches to do after your workout. Be sure to talk to your doctor about how hard your exercise should be. If you feel chest pain or discomfort, stop right away and call your doctor.

Start Slow and Stay Comfortable

When you are just beginning to exercise, go at a pace that feels easy. The best exercises are ones that get your heart pumping, like walking, jogging, biking, or swimming.

Here are 3 quick tips:

1.     Breathe easy. You should be breathing a little harder, but still able to talk while you are moving.

2.     Sweating is normal. It means your body is working hard and trying to cool down. It is a sign that your muscles are getting stronger.

3.     Exercise most days. If you feel rested and not tired from the day before, try to be active every day.

Important: Always ask your doctor what kind of exercise is safe for you, how long to do it, and how hard to push yourself. Most people start with walking.

Treatment Disclaimer

The resources on this website are for educational purposes, not for use in the treatment of medical conditions. It is based on skilled medical opinion as of the date of publication. However, medical science advances and changes rapidly. Furthermore, diagnosis and treatment are often complex and involve more than one disease process or medical issue to determine proper care. If you believe you may have a medical condition described in any of the books or blogs, consult your doctor.