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You've heard it before: If you have heart disease, or never want to get it, exercise is one of your best allies. But hitting the gym three times a week may not be good enough anymore.

As researchers gather more data--and as Americans grow more sedentary--the recommendations for physical activity are changing. Even if you need to step up your routine, staying in shape is a goal within almost everyone's reach. It's more about consistent effort than Herculean exertion.

Like any muscle, the heart is conditioned by regular sessions of physical activity. A fit heart pumps a higher volume of blood per beat than one that's out of shape, giving you the stamina for bursts of activity, such as sprinting up five flights of stairs. But exercise also single-handedly reduces many potential threats to cardiac health by lowering cholesterol levels and blood pressure, as well as fighting obesity and relieving stress.

Perhaps the last time you heard, heart health authorities were advising 60 minutes of moderate exercise three times a week. But since 1996, recommendations for both prevention and treatment of heart disease have become more comprehensive. Just 10 years ago, doctors prescribed rest rather than exercise after a heart attack. But now they say a weakened heart must be built up again. The bottom line is that a sedentary lifestyle is dangerous, whether your heart is healthy or not.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, the Surgeon General's Office and American Heart Association (AHA), the current consensus for heart health and exercise is aerobic exercise (walking, jogging, cycling, swimming or racquet sports) at least five days a week for 20 to 60 minutes, along with at least two 30-minute weight-lifting sessions weekly. The latest studies also show that breaking up physical activity into 10- to 15-minute segments throughout the day is just as beneficial as one long session. The results of such a routine are dramatic. Researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston found that men who exercised at least five times a week had 46 percent fewer heart attacks than those who worked out once a week or less.

While activities like vacuuming or gardening are good ways to burn calories, they are not enough in the way of aerobic activity because they don't work the ticker hard or long enough. You need to exert yourself at 60 to 90 percent of your maximum heart rate, says Shirley Moore, R.N., Ph.D., a nursing professor at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. The general rule for determining maximum heart rate is to subtract your age from 220, but that formula doesn't allow for individual differences in fitness levels. (The maximum heart rate for a sedentary younger person might be too low for a fit older person.) After you determine the rate, take your pulse for a minute while exercising to see if you're on target. It's also helpful to judge exertion by how hard you're breathing, points out Gerald Fletcher, M.D., a cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla. When exercising at the proper intensity, he says, you should be short of breath but still able to talk.

Whether your jogging shoes are in mothballs or you've been diagnosed with a heart disorder, it's still possible to exercise safely and maintain fitness goals similar to those of healthy people, says Terry Bazzarre, Ph.D., an AHA staff scientist. After consulting with your doctor to devise an appropriate exercise routine, start off slowly. As you gain strength, gradually increase the intensity, frequency and duration of workouts.

Adding two to three weight-training sessions to a weekly exercise regimen can reduce blood pressure and body fat levels, according to a 1999 study conducted at the William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Mich. Experts advise getting professional training to learn how to pump iron safely and protect yourself from injuries. After you get the basics down, aim for 8 to 15 repetitions each of 8 to 10 exercises that condition major muscles, such as the biceps, triceps, quadriceps, deltoids and trapezius.

If there's one thing that scientists seem certain of, it's that frequent physical exertion is an essential component to your heart's strength and longevity. The best strategy is to find a physical activity you enjoy so workouts don't seem like a chore. Even if you're comfortable going to the gym, breaking your routine occasionally to, say, Rollerblade through the park is good for your outlook and your heart.

# posted by Medical Information : 3:05 AM