b e t t e r HEALTH
Exercise is the single most important step toward prevention, says Dr. Jennifer Mieres,
spokeswoman for the American Heart Association and director of nuclear cardiology at
New York University School of Medicine. But your heart won’t settle for just a casual walk
around the block. “W hat a lot of people don’t realize is that to actually reduce your risk
of cardiovascular disease, your exercise program has to elevate your heart rate and
meet certain criteria to be effective,” says Dr. Leslie Cho, director of the
Cleveland Clinic’s Women’s Cardiovascular Center. You need to raise your
heart rate
20
to
30
minutes every day. Even people who have suffered heart
attacks benefit: They recover faster and stay healthier longer when they add
regular workouts to their rehabilitation. Be sure to check with your doctor first
before embarking on a rigorous program.
> > the new basics
P U M P U P IN T E N S IT Y
intense workouts hold the key
to continued fitness and heart
health. Your exercising heart
rate should be 40 percent to
50 percent higher than your
normal resting rate. Although
you’ll be working harder, you
can pack a heart-healthy
workout into less time.
T A K E T H E T A L K T E S T
No heart rate monitor? To
reach the level of exertion
needed to benefit your heart,
you should be working out to
the point where you can only
carry on brief three-word
conversations. if you’re able
to chat as usual, step up the
workout routine.
S T A Y F R E S H
After a few months your body
gets used to whatever activity
you do and the workouts
become easier; however, the
benefits decline. Take a lesson
from pro athletes and mix up
your exercise routine or add
new activities to your workout.
D IV ID E & C O N Q U E R
Three 10-minute intervals of
aerobic exercise a day can be
just as beneficial as one
30-minute session. if your
schedule doesn’t permit
going to the gym in one block
of time, set aside a few
mini-sessions during your
day—just be sure to keep that
intensity up.
P IC K P E R F O R M A N C E
While low-intensity exercise
such as gardening and
housework does help, more
intense exercise such as
bicycling, running, swimming,
or brisk walking for at least
30 minutes most days of the
week provides the best
heart-healthy results.
P A R T N E R U P
People are more apt to stick
with a regular exercise
program when they have
someone to give them
incentive (or lay on the guilt).
red u ce y o u r risk
4
0
%
for heart disease by
exercising five hours
or more a week.
You can also reduce
your risk 23% by
working out with
weights 30 minutes
3 times a week.
monitors for every beat
ough to provide heart-
healthy benefits? Strap on a heart rate monitor. Here are three models for just about any fitness level and budget.
DO EVERYTHING
Along with a heart rate
monitor, calorie
counter, and
pedometer, this nifty
gadget has an MP
3
player with memory to
store
500
songs.
Haier
ibiza Rhapsody
HHH
1
A-
2
G Trainer
Sport; haieramerica
.com;
$53
EASY TO USE
Visual or
vibrating alerts show
when you’re at your
target heart rate. Tap
the lens to see exercise
time or calories burned.
Oregon Scientific
SmartHeart SE
102
Heart Rate Monitor;
Oregonscientific.com;
$60
COMPUTER
CONNECTED
Download workout info
to a computer to analyze
and improve training.
Also provides
programmable alerts
when training reaches
desired fat-burning
levels.
Polar FT
7
,
Polarusa.com;
$120
1 9 0
FEBRUARY 2010
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