Fatty heart disease, also known as atheroma or coronary heart disease, is the leading cause of death in the United States today—and it’s largely preventable. If you have fatty heart disease, it’s important to know that there are many things you can do to lower your risk of developing it further, and even reverse it completely if you already have it. One of the most important things you can do to prevent or reverse fatty heart disease is to exercise on a regular basis.
Know What's Causing it
If you already have a diagnosis of fatty heart disease, or if your physician suspects that you do, ask about any relevant triggers. Some of these include high blood pressure, heavy drinking (especially if you’re also taking medication), smoking and excessive amounts of sugar and other carbohydrates in your diet. There are also some diseases and conditions associated with higher instances of fatty heart disease—some genetic, some lifestyle-related. Your doctor will likely be able to identify which ones apply to you. Exercise Alone Won't Cures it all: While exercise is an essential part of maintaining a healthy body weight and preventing future ailments, it’s only effective if combined with proper dieting habits—something that many people struggle with long after they leave their gyms or fitness centers behind.
Understand How Physical Activity Helps
Exercise is one of your best tools to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and help prevent heart disease. To understand how physical activity helps reduce your risk, it’s helpful to know what causes heart disease in the first place. Every day, your body creates small amounts of plaque-like substances called lipids that collect along artery walls and harden over time. Having too much LDL (bad) cholesterol can contribute to a buildup of these fatty deposits in your arteries; when enough plaque builds up, it makes it harder for blood to travel through your vessels and may cause a heart attack or stroke if an artery ruptures or a blood clot forms.
Understand How Diet and Nutrition Help
Eating right and exercising regularly are important parts of keeping your heart healthy, but it’s not all you can do. To keep your heart in optimal shape, you need to also understand how diet and nutrition can help. How Does Diet Help Your Heart? There is a growing amount of evidence that following a healthy diet not only reduces cholesterol and triglyceride levels but can reduce overall body fat percentage as well. This is important because overweight people tend to have increased fatty deposits around their hearts—and too much fat around your heart isn’t good. In fact, research has shown that even just a one-percent increase in body fat around your heart increases risk for heart disease by four percent!
Know What to Avoid
If you have coronary heart disease, you’re likely to have one or more risk factors, like high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. But some people with coronary heart disease don’t have any risk factors at all. To keep your heart healthy, it’s crucial to know what to avoid; even if you can’t change your genes, unhealthy habits or family history, you can take charge of your health by avoiding smoking and excess alcohol consumption.
Talk to your doctor about how often you should get a checkup too. And of course, exercise is also an important part of preventing further health issues; aim for 30 minutes of moderate physical activity five days a week and make sure to include strengthening exercises twice a week.
Get Started with a Small Goal (30 Minutes of Cardio)
It’s easy to say you should exercise, but even if you make it a priority in your life, inertia is real. Starting small can help keep you on track and avoid quitting before you start seeing results. If you normally do an hour of cardio on Monday and Wednesday, instead of adding more cardio to your week, try cutting it down by half to just 30 minutes a day. That way, once you add in other types of movement throughout your day, such as walking upstairs at work or taking an after-dinner walk with your significant other, you’ll reach 150 minutes of activity each week—the amount recommended by leading health organizations like Shape Up America!
Improve at Any Age
If you’re young, exercise can be a great way to improve your overall health and wellness. But just because you get older doesn’t mean it’s not a good idea. In fact, some of the most common and serious health concerns in older people are related to low levels of physical activity, including obesity, diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Even if you’re an inactive senior who’s never been into fitness or sports—start slow! There are many ways to ease into regular exercise that can significantly improve your health. Talk with your doctor about starting a fitness routine today!
Build Up Your Endurance Slowly
If you’re overweight or obese, you may be at an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Increasing your endurance slowly helps ensure that you stay active and avoid injury. Start with something low impact, like walking, swimming or cycling to ease into exercise without straining your body. To give yourself a baseline measure of fitness before starting a new exercise regimen, consider getting a physical from your doctor first. This will tell you where you stand in terms of overall health and can serve as a reference point when charting your progress over time.
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