• Physical activity is any body movement that works your muscles and requires more energy than resting.
• Walking, running, dancing, swimming, yoga, and gardening are a few examples of physical activity.
• Exercise is a type of physical activity that’s planned and structured.
• Lifting weights, taking an aerobics class, and playing on a sports team are examples of exercise.
• Physical activity is good for many parts of your body.
• A heart-healthy lifestyle also involves following a heart healthy eating, aiming for a healthy weight, managing stress, and quitting smoking. (NIH)

Guidelines for Adults

• Some physical activity is better than none.
• Inactive adults should gradually increase their level of activity.
• People gain health benefits from as little as 60 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic activity per week.
• For major health benefits, do at least 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) of moderate intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes (1 hour and 15 minutes) of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity each week.
• Another option is to do a combination of both.
• A general rule is that 2 minutes of moderate-intensity activity counts the same as 1 minute of vigorous intensity activity.
• For even more health benefits, do 300 minutes (5 hours) of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) of vigorous-intensity activity each week (or a combination of both).
• The more active you are, the more you will benefit.
• When doing aerobic activity, do it for at least 10 minutes at a time.
• Spread the activity throughout the week.
• Muscle-strengthening activities that are moderate or vigorous intensity should be included 2 or more days a week.
• These activities should work all of the major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, chest, abdomen, shoulders, and arms).
  
  • Examples include lifting weights, working with resistance bands, and doing situps and pushups, yoga, and heavy gardening.

Guidelines for Adults Aged 65 or Older

The guidelines advise that:

• Older adults should be physically active.
• Older adults who do any amount of physical activity gain some health benefits.
• If inactive, older adults should gradually increase their activity levels and avoid vigorous activity at first.
• Older adults should follow the guidelines for adults, if possible.
• Do a variety of activities, including walking.
  • Walking has been shown to provide health benefits and a low risk of injury.
• If you cannot do 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) of activity each week, be as physically active as your abilities and condition allow.
• You should do balance exercises if you are at risk for falls. 
• If you have a chronic (ongoing) condition—such as heart disease, lung disease, or diabetes—ask your doctor what types and amounts of activity are safe for you.

Aerobic Activity

• Aerobic activity moves your large muscles, such as those in your arms and legs.
• Running, swimming, walking, bicycling, dancing, and doing jumping jacks are examples of aerobic activity.
• Aerobic activity also is called endurance activity.
• Aerobic activity makes your heart beat faster than usual.
  • You also breathe harder during this typeof  activity.
• Over time, regular aerobic activity makes your heart and lungs stronger and able to work better.

Levels of Intensity in Aerobic Activity

• You can do aerobic activity with light, moderate, or vigorous intensity.
• Moderate- and vigorousintensity aerobic activities are better for your heart than light-intensity activities.
• However, even light-intensity activities are better than no activity at all.
• The level of intensity depends on how hard you must work to do the activity.
• To do the same activity, people who are less fit usually must work harder than people who are more fit.
• So, for example, what is light-intensity activity for one person may be moderate-intensity for another.

LIGHT- AND MODERATE-INTENSITY ACTIVITIES

• Light-intensity activities are common daily activities that do not require much effort.
• Moderate-intensity activities make your heart, lungs, and muscles work harder than light intensity activities do.
• On a scale of 0 to 10, moderate-intensity activity is a 5 or 6 and produces noticeable increases in breathing and heart rate.
• A person doing moderate-intensity activity can talk but not sing.

VIGOROUS-INTENSITY ACTIVITIES

• Vigorous-intensity activities make your heart, lungs, and muscles work hard.
• On a scale of 0 to 10, vigorous-intensity activity is a 7 or 8.
• A person doing vigorous-intensity activity can’t say more than a few words without stopping for a breath.

Examples of Aerobic Activities

Below are examples of aerobic activities. Depending on your level of fitness, they can be light,
moderate, or vigorous in intensity:

• Pushing a grocery cart around a store
• Gardening, such as digging or hoeing that causes your heart rate to go up
• Walking, hiking, jogging, running
• Water aerobics or swimming laps
• Bicycling, skateboarding, rollerblading, and jumping rope
• Ballroom dancing and aerobic dancing
• Tennis, soccer, hockey, and basketball

• The other types of physical activity—muscle-strengthening, bone strengthening, and stretching— benefit your body in other ways.
• Muscle-strengthening activities improve the strength, power, and endurance of your muscles.
  
  • Doing pushups and sit-ups, lifting weights, climbing stairs, and digging in the garden are examples of muscle-strengthening activities.
• With bone-strengthening activities, your feet, legs, or arms support your body’s weight, and your muscles push against your bones.
  • This helps make your bones strong.
  • Running, walking, jumping rope, and lifting weights are examples of bone-strengthening activities.
• Muscle-strengthening and bone-strengthening activities also can be aerobic, depending on whether they make your heart and lungs work harder than usual.
  • For example, running is both an aerobic activity and a bone-strengthening activity.
• Stretching helps improve your flexibility and your ability to fully move your joints.
• Touching your toes, doing side stretches, and doing yoga exercises are examples of stretching.

Make Physical Activity Part of Your Daily Routine

• Do activities that you enjoy and make them part of your daily routine.
• If you have not been active for a while, start low and build slow.
• Many people like to start with walking and slowly increase their time and distance.
• You also can take other steps to make physical activity part of your routine.

PERSONALIZE THE BENEFITS

• People value different things. Some people may highly value the health benefits from physical activity.
• Others want to be active because they enjoy recreational activities, or they want to look better or sleep better.
• Some people want to be active because it helps them lose weight or it gives them a chance to spend time with friends.
• Identify which physical activity benefits you value. This will help you personalize the benefits of physical activity.

BE ACTIVE WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY

• Friends and family can help you stay active. For example, go for a hike with a friend.
• Take dancing lessons with your spouse or play ball with your child.

MAKE EVERYDAY ACTIVITIES MORE ACTIVE

• You can make your daily routine more active.
• For example, take the stairs instead of the elevator.
• Instead of sending e-mails, walk down the hall to a coworker’s office.
• Rake the leaves instead of using a leaf blower.

REWARD YOURSELF WITH TIME FOR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

• Sometimes, going for a bike ride or a long walk relieves stress after a long day.
• Think of physical activity as a special time to refresh your body and mind.

KEEP TRACK OF YOUR PROGRESS

• Consider keeping a log of your activity.
• A log can help you track your progress.
• Many people like to wear a pedometer (a small device that counts your steps) to track how much they walk every day.
• These tools can help you set goals and stay motivated.

BE ACTIVE AND SAFE

• Be active on a regular basis to raise your fitness level.
• Do activities that fit your health goals and fitness level.
• Start low and slowly increase your activity level over time.
• As your fitness improves, you will be able to do physical activities for longer periods and with more intensity.
• Spread out your activity over the week and vary the types of activity you do.
• Use the right gear and equipment to protect yourself.
• For example, use bicycle helmets, elbow and knee pads, and goggles.
• Be active in safe environments.
• Pick well-lit and well-maintained places that are clearly separated from car traffic.
• Follow safety rules and policies, such as always wearing a helmet when biking.
• Make sensible choices about when, where, and how to be active.
• Consider weather conditions, such as how hot or cold it is, and change your plans as needed.

Risks

• In general, the benefits of regular physical activity far outweigh risks to the heart and lungs.
• Rarely, heart problems occur as a result of physical activity.
  • Examples of these problems include arrhythmias, sudden cardiac arrest, and heart attack.
• These events generally happen to people who already have heart conditions.
• The risk of heart problems due to physical activity is higher for youth and young adults who have congenital heart problems.
  • The term “congenital” means the heart problem has been present since birth.
  • Congenital heart problems include hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, congenital heart defects, and myocarditis.
  • People who have these conditions should ask their doctors what types of physical activity are safe for them.
• For middle-aged and older adults, the risk of heart problems due to physical activity is related to coronary heart disease (CHD).
  • People who have CHD are more likely to have a heart attack when they are exercising vigorously than when they are not.
• The risk of heart problems due to physical activity is related to your fitness level and the intensity of the activity you are doing.
  • For example, someone who is not physically fit is at higher risk for a heart attack during vigorous activity than a person who is physically fit.
• If you have a heart problem or chronic (ongoing) disease—such as heart disease, diabetes, or high blood pressure—ask your doctor what types of physical activity are safe for you.
• You also should talk with your doctor about safe physical activities if you have symptoms such as chest pain or dizziness.
• Discuss ways that you can slowly and safely build physical activity into your daily routine.

Benefits

• Physical activity strengthens your heart and improves lung function.
• When done regularly, moderate- and vigorous-intensity physical activity strengthens your heart muscle.
  • This improves your heart’s ability to pump blood to your lungs and throughout your body.
  • As a result, more blood flows to your muscles, and oxygen levels in your blood rise.
• Capillaries, your body’s tiny blood vessels, also widen.
  • This allows them to deliver more oxygen to your body and carry away waste products.
• Physical activity reduces coronary heart disease risk factors.
  • When done regularly, moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic activity can lower your risk for CHD.
• Plaque narrows the arteries and reduces blood flow to your heart muscle.
  • Eventually, an area of plaque can rupture (break open).
  • This causes a blood clot to form on the surface of the plaque.
  • If the clot becomes large enough, it can mostly or completely block blood flow through a coronary artery.
  • Blocked blood flow to the heart muscle causes a heart attack.
• Certain traits, conditions, or habits may raise your risk for CHD.
  • Physical activity can help control some of these risk factors because it:
    • Can lower blood pressure and triglyceride.
      • Triglycerides are a type of fat in the blood.
    • Can raise HDL cholesterol levels. HDL sometimes is called “good” cholesterol.
    • Helps your body manage blood sugar and insulin levels, which lowers your risk for type 2 diabetes.
    • Reduces levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) in your body.
      • This protein is a sign of inflammation. High levels of CRP may suggest an increased risk for CHD.
    • Helps reduce overweight and obesity when combined with a reduced-calorie diet.
      • Physical activity also helps you maintain a healthy weight over time once you have lost weight.
    • May help you quit smoking.
      • Smoking is a major risk factor for CHD.
    • Inactive people are more likely to develop CHD than people who are physically active.
    • Studies suggest that inactivity is a major risk factor for CHD, just like high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, and smoking.
• Physical Activity Reduces Heart Attack Risk
  • For people who have CHD, aerobic activity done regularly helps the heart work better.
  • It also may reduce the risk of a second heart attack in people who already have had heart attacks.
  • Vigorous aerobic activity may not be safe for people who have CHD. Ask your doctor what types of activity are safe for you.