Walking For A Healthy Heart

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Introduction

Walking is a form of aerobic exercise and is one of the easiest ways to increase your physical activity and improve your health. Physical activity increases your heart rate, strengthens your heart, and increases blood circulation through your body, bringing more oxygen and nutrients to your organs. Exercise also increases your lungs' ability to take in oxygen, lowers blood pressure, helps to reduce body fat, and improves blood sugar and cholesterol levels.

Key points:

• Have a checkup before beginning an exercise program. If you have heart problems, your doctor may want to do tests to assess how much activity your heart can safely handle.
• Start out slowly at first, with a warm-up in the beginning, a faster pace in the middle, and a cooldown at the end.
• To stay motivated, walk with friends, coworkers, or pets. Set goals you can reach.
• Use a pedometer to count your steps. Wear it all day and try to take at least 2,000 more steps a day than you normally do, and gradually increase your steps over time.
• Try to walk briskly for at least 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week or more. Work up to 60 minutes, if possible.
• If you have heart problems, a recent study shows that a home walking program may be as beneficial as participating in a hospital- or clinic-based cardiac rehabilitation program.¹ This can be important for people who don't have access to organized cardiac rehab.

 What do I need to know about starting a walking program?

 Why is walking good for my heart?

 How can I stay motivated with a walking program?

 Where to go from here

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Last updated:	October 16, 2006
Author:	Robin Parks, MS
Reviewed By:	Caroline S. Rhoads, MD - Internal Medicine, Neil J. Stone, MD, FACC, FACP - Internal Medicine, Cardiology
Editors:	Kathleen M. Ariss, MS, Pat Truman