Practice Exercise to Live a Longer Life after Heart Attack Strikes

Walking is Best for the Heart & Health

Exercise, exercise and exercise is the solution for heart health before and after a heart attack. Heart-the organ that controls our existence is subjected to different emotions such as love, happiness, crisis or shock and also exists as the recipient of various illnesses due to raise in blood pressure, stress levels and cholesterol intake. Keeping our heart in good health is our foremost duty. 

Menace of the Heart Attack
​Heart attack was monopolized by the old until a few years ago but recent decade has witnessed a sharp rise in the number of youngsters affected by heart attack owing to their improper lifestyle habits, unhealthy diet practices and an inactive daily routine. Few others too experience an attack owing to certain other reasons such as a shocking news, sudden rise in blood pressure levels or others. Science and medicine have advanced such that people who’ve been treated for heart attack can resume their activities and routines in quite sometime without much hindrances.

The post-treatment care and effort determine the health status of the individual in the long term. A new study has brought light into the fact that heart attack survivors who exercise frequently and regularly have a greater chance of living longer compared to those who lead a sedentary lifestyle. Physical activity has always been linked to a lower risk of cardiovascular diseases and cancer as well, and the decreased risk of these diseases still hold good after a heart attack or stroke too.

The study involved more than 22,000 participants who were survived twice-6-10 weeks after the attack and 10-12 months later. During the study period of 4 years 1,087 participants died. Results showed that:

1. Patients who exercised regularly and were active were 71% less likely to die during the study compared to their inactive counterparts
2. Patients who were inactive after the treatment, but increased activity level gradually were 59% less likely to die during the study than their inactive counterparts
3. Patients who did not exercise regularly but still managed to do some amount of physical activity were 44% less likely to die.

Chances of survival after a heart attack is in your hands-this is what the new study quotes. Exercising as much as possible even though you might not be on par with your previous levels is a sure determinant of better survival rates.

Better Late than Never
If you’ve been an active person even before your attack it’s a good sign and your only duty is to continue being active. If you have never been active nor exercised before your heart attack it is never too late to start doing something good and beneficial for the health. Start exercising now. If you cannot exercise don’t get disheartened. Exercise is a part of being active. Its not only your squats and crunches that keep you active and going. Moving around your house, going for a small walk, avoiding sitting continuously by engaging in simple chores and avoiding stress in your preferred way (such as meditation or yoga) are also beneficial for the body. But ensure to avoid smoking, drinking and consuming high-fat foods. Get in touch with registered dietitian nutritionists at www.firsteatright.com to plan a healthy diet suiting your heart requirements which would help you stay within healthy weight ranges.
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Just like all of us heart attack survivors should also try to achieve 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a week. Other than helping you live longer exercising after a heart attack also brings with it other added advantages such as reducing risk of obesity, high blood sugar and blood glucose levels, cholesterol levels and inflammation. Walking is the best exercise recommended for heart attack survivors to start with. It is simple, easy, doable and has the lowest risk of injury. It is ok to pursue your preferred exercise form after discussing with your physician. The only thing to remember is that staying sedentary is far riskier than the risk involved in choosing different exercise forms.