Benefits of Exercise for Heart and Vascular Health

There are more and more adherents of a healthy lifestyle in recent years. Physical activity with the low mobility of modern people leads many to the idea of how to maintain health and avoid heart problems. From our article you will learn about the benefits of sports for the heart and blood vessels , whether heart patients can play sports.

What happens to the heart during exercise?

Physical activity has a positive effect on health in general and on the cardiovascular system in particular. Sports activities lead to increased consumption of oxygen and other substances. To ensure sufficient O2, the heart muscle begins to contract faster.

During training, a small amount of adrenaline is produced. Together with other components, it strengthens the walls of blood vessels and increases the tone of the cardiovascular system. The hormone moves through the vessels with oxygen and other active substances. This process, together with the energetic work of the heart muscle, allows you to better resist stress.

People who play sports better cope with emotional shocks and react more calmly to external stimuli. This leads to a sharp reduction in the risk of developing depression.

What heart diseases are contraindicated for active sports?

There are a huge number of sports, but they are all divided into four groups:

• competitive
• command
• power
• cardio loads

Competitive and team sports are characterized by a sharp increase in heart rate, followed by a period of rest. Such jumps have a negative impact on people suffering from heart disease. There is a risk of developing serious disorders.

Strength training is static and does not cause sudden changes in pulse and heart rate. Cardiovascular exercises, in which the heart rate is maintained at around 120-150 beats per second, are also useful. They are recommended for healthy people and those suffering from heart disease.

Team and competitive sports are prohibited in cases of coronary heart disease (CHD), dilated and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

If you suffer from pain in the heart area, you should first consult a doctor. Only after an accurate diagnosis can you choose which discipline to engage in. This is especially true for competitive and team games.

Are there any age restrictions for active sports?

It is recommended to exercise with caution in old age, when even a person who has not previously experienced health and heart problems may develop them. Starting from the age of 65, when deciding to engage in sports, you must first consult a doctor. Special tests allow you to exclude the presence of diseases such as coronary heart disease, atherosclerosis of the heart vessels.

If there are no health problems, it is preferable to engage in sports that do not cause excessive strain on the cardiovascular system or sudden changes in rhythm. These include tennis, cycling, ballroom dancing, swimming and aqua aerobics.

When tests have revealed arterial hypertension, coronary heart disease, or a person has suffered a stroke or heart attack, only a specialist can determine what load is acceptable. In such cases, everything is individual.

The best exercises for strengthening the heart are:

• yoga, dance and pilates
• strength training with your own weight or a small additional weight

The absence of heart problems in old age is not a reason to start actively training. If you did not do sports in earlier years, your body and organism will not be ready for heavy loads.

How to determine where the line is between benefit and harm in sports activities?

Everything should be in moderation. This applies to absolutely everything. Sports are no exception. When physical activity is excessive, the benefits turn into harm. Those who finish their professional careers often face numerous heart diseases at a later age.

Everyone decides for themselves how much to do sports, but there are recommendations for any discipline. The main thing is not to neglect your health. Starting from the age of 35, it is highly recommended to undergo annual medical examinations. This is especially true for ultrasound of the heart. It allows you to identify heart rhythm disturbances and either give up physical activity in a timely manner or reduce the pace of sports.

How to structure training with heavy loads?

There are no strict restrictions regarding the load. You need to focus on your own well-being and recommendations within the discipline for amateurs and those wishing to become professionals. Cardiologists only advise doing an ultrasound of the heart after 35 years and undergoing tests after 65 years. When problems are detected, regardless of how the sport affects the blood vessels and the circulatory system as a whole, recommendations regarding acceptable loads are given not by the trainer, but by the doctor.

For amateurs who do not plan to become professionals, excessive workout are not needed. People for whom sport becomes a job take a completely different approach. They train a lot, and their level of workload is often excessive, but the “tools” at the professionals’ disposal are also different. Their nutrition and training schedule are handled by specialists, and regular medical examinations allow them to adjust their training plans in a timely manner, and so on.

Important! Never continue to exercise if you have discomfort in the heart area. Stop exercising immediately and consult a specialist.

Best Sports for Cardiovascular Health

Team and competitive disciplines are not suitable for everyone and are contraindicated in case of serious heart diseases. Anaerobic loads without excessive loads are suitable for almost everyone due to their static nature. But what sport strengthens the heart and is recommended at almost any age? Generally speaking, anaerobic loads, that is, cardio without using your own weight and weights.

The following disciplines are considered the most useful:

• Swimming — Any style is equally effective not only for the cardiovascular system, but also for the musculoskeletal system. Another advantage of swimming is getting rid of stress and depression.
• Cycling — It is also an incredibly useful sport for the heart muscle. Regular cycling trains the heart. It begins to work in an economical mode. This allows you to maintain its health for a long time.
• Running — The simplest and most accessible type of aerobic exercise. It does not require any equipment if jogging is done outside. The latter is more useful than jogging on a treadmill. Running trains the heart and stabilizes blood pressure.
• Skiing — Unlike the sports listed above, it requires special equipment and appropriate climatic conditions. Skiing is only possible in winter, and therefore, the rest of the year, you need to engage in other types of physical activity.

The variety of anaerobic loads allows you to choose a sport for absolutely any taste. If we talk about versatility, then swimming fully meets this criterion. You can swim in indoor pools all year round.

Will my heart get worse if I don’t exercise?

A complete lack of physical activity, similar to excessive loads, leads to negative results. A sedentary lifestyle coupled with a refusal to exercise provokes the development of obesity, which is one of the primary causes of heart problems. Excess fat cells begin to form around the heart muscle, lipid metabolism is disrupted, causing such consequences as:

• enlargement of the heart muscle;
• arrhythmia;
• heart failure.

An active lifestyle, on the contrary, helps to maintain a normal weight. It is not necessary to sign up for a gym, lift weights, etc. It is enough to regularly walk in the fresh air for at least 30-40 minutes, perform various cardio exercises.

Physical exercise is good for the cardiovascular system and is contraindicated only in severe heart disease. In other cases, cardiologists and specialists give a clear answer to the question of what kind of sport can be done with heart problems. Anaerobic exercise without sudden changes in heart rate is suitable.