Exercise And Heart Health

KYW Medical Reports Sponsored By Independence Blue Cross

By Dr. Brian McDonough, Medical Editor

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Heart disease kills one in every three Americans. More than 42 million each year die of heart disease, stroke, or a related condition.

According to an article in the Journal Circulation the number one thing you can do to cut down that risk is to not smoke. Number two – exercise. I suspect many of you are aware of this, but there is exciting news about the exercise information. Exercise can have a great impact even in people as old as 75.

What they found is walking showed a stronger link to heart health than any other activity. Speed was also important.

For instance, those who walked faster than 3 miles per hour cut their risk for cardiovascular disease, heart disease, and stroke each by about half. A couple of important points—make sure you doctor is fine with an exercise program and get a new pair of comfortable sneakers that fit well and have proper support.