保持活跃是“最好的药”

思想活跃, 在所有的形式和年龄, is one of the best ways to prevent heart disease and improve overall health and well-being.

它不仅可以帮助控制体重和健身, 它可以帮助从心脏病发作或手术中恢复过来.

“这是最好的药，”他说. 兰德尔·托马斯, medical director of the cardiac rehabilitation program at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, 明尼苏达州. “我们越活跃，我们的身体机能就越好."

这包括心肌力量, artery health and improved blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Physical activity helps oxygen move more efficiently through the body and can help the brain's cognitive abilities.

Physical activity doesn't require a gym membership or expensive exercise equipment and gear. “它的成本很低，”托马斯说.

跳舞, 在附近散步, raking leaves or taking the stairs at work – instead of the elevator – are all ways to get moving. 如果你一直久坐不动, start with an activity you enjoy and keep your initial exercise session short, 托马斯说.

"Get up off the couch and do something at least five minutes a day,他说, suggesting that five minutes be added each day to build up gradually to a sustained period of movement.

The 美国心脏协会 recommends adults get at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity.

Even short bursts of activity are helpful, and some exercise is better than none. 15到20分钟的散步可以产生让人感觉良好的内啡肽.

“我们很快就能感受到这些影响，”托马斯说.

耐力运动, 或者有氧运动, 应该和力量一起包括吗, balance and flexibility exercises as part of an ideal workout plan.

如果体育锻炼已经是你日常生活的一部分, it's still important to be mindful of sitting for too many hours at a time. 托马斯说，长线上电子游戏飞禽走兽久坐是有害的. It can increase the risk for heart disease, stroke and diabetes.

事实上, 体育活动是简单生活的要素之一, measurable actions created by the AHA to help prevent cardiovascular diseases. 其他六个人正在吃健康的饮食, 控制血压, 控制胆固醇, 降低血糖, 减肥和戒烟.

对于那些患有心脏病的人, including people who have had a recent heart attack or heart procedure, physical activity boosts recovery and may help avert issues later.

"We get people moving, literally, while they're still in the hospital," 托马斯说. The goal is to get a heart patient into a cardiac rehabilitation program within the first week of leaving the hospital.

Cardiac rehab offers supervised exercise and includes nutrition counseling, 协助戒烟和压力管理. It can help reduce the risk of death from heart disease and reduce the risk of future heart problems.

病人不应该害怕运动，托马斯说. 虽然在开始的时候进行一些放松是必要的, 心脏康复患者可以而且应该进行身体活动.

所有的体力活动, people who have medical concerns should seek guidance from their physician. 年纪大的人, 例如, 可要特别注意平衡, but they can remain active with balance support through seated aerobics, 有侧扶手把手的固定自行车或跑步机.

事实上, the latest federal physical activity guidelines recommend older adults mix balance training with muscle-strengthening and aerobic activities.

孩子们也需要锻炼. Youngsters between 6 and 17 years old should get an hour or more of moderate to vigorous, 主要是有氧, 每天的体力活动.

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