UPMC Physician: Movement at the Heart of Health
Thomas Scott, D.O.
UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute
Thanks to the convenience of technology and our modern lifestyles, people in the U.S. are more inactive than ever. Whether we’re sitting behind desks, hunched over laptops all day for work, or lounging around binging our favorite shows, Americans simply aren’t as physically active as we used to be – and that’s a problem.
According to the American Heart Association, only about one in five adults and teens get enough exercise to maintain good health. Physical activity is one of the keys to preventing heart disease which is the number one killer of both men and women in the United States. Being more active can help all people think, feel and sleep better and perform daily tasks more easily.
When you sit for long periods of time, your body doesn’t work as well as it can and actually begins to adapt to the lack of activity in negative ways. You don’t burn as many calories as you would while standing or doing another activity, which can make it harder to stay at a healthy weight.
Science has linked being inactive and sitting too much with higher risk of heart disease. Your heart is a muscle, just like the ones in your arms and legs. The more you use it, the stronger and more efficient it becomes. When you’re active, your blood pumps through your arteries, helping to keep them healthy and functioning well. Regular cardiovascular exercise, the kind that raises your heart rate and makes you breathe heavily, helps improve your quality of life while reducing many of your risks for heart disease. It can:
