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Everyone knows that you need to exercise to stay healthy. Keeping fit through aerobic exercise is important for disease prevention and overall personal health. It also has a number of benefits for your bones, muscles and organs. However, the amount of exercise you do is more important than you might think. If you’re over-exercising, you might actually be increasing your risk of suffering from health concerns linked to heart disease. That’s why it’s so important to understand more about the guidelines for exercise and health management.

 

Exercise and your Arteries

Exercise is essential for the health of your heart. Different types of exercise give the heart a good workout and makes the arteries more elastic. This helps to protect your heart from the effects of aging and poor diet and ultimately from life threatening heart diseases. This is important because heart disease is still very prevalent in western countries.

 

However, a recent study found that people who exercised more than 7 hours a week might increase their risk of heart disease. This study examined more than 3000 people and found that white males who exercised more than 7 hours a week had increased calcification of the arteries around their heart. Calcification is a build-up of plaque, and it’s dangerous because it causes reduced blood flow, which can lead to heart problems.

 

This study was long term, and it followed the participants over a period of 25 years. It examined people who got less than the 2.5 recommended hours of exercise a week, those who got the recommended amount, and those who exercised more. Another interesting result of the study was the fact that black men and women of any ethnicity who exercised for more than 7 hours did not seem to suffer from increased calcification.

 

Calcification and Heart Disease

Calcification of the arteries around the heart is a serious predictor of heart problems. It is extremely prevalent, appearing in 90% of men and 67% of women over the age of 70. It is also more common in people who are overweight or have high blood pressure. Calcification causes arterial stiffness, which increases the risk of the patient suffering from a cardiovascular event. At the moment, there is no real treatment for this condition, it is considered both a normal part of aging and a sign of poor lifestyle choices.

 

What this means for you

None of these findings mean that you should stop exercising. Instead they’re a reminder that there can be too much of a good thing. Experts recommend that you get about 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise a week, or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic exercise. You should also include strength training to improve muscle tone and bone density.

 

Too much exercise can damage more than your heart as well. It can cause injuries to muscles or ligaments, puts extra stress on bones and muscles, and even cause premature aging. That’s why it’s so important that you monitor your personal health and your exercise routine to make sure that your habits are not damaging your health.

 

Make sure you get the right amount of exercise for your health and your physical condition. If you’re concerned, and want to learn more about health tracking, try HomeLab. It will help you to work on prevention of disease through regular health screening in the comfort of your own home.

 

 

 

Keywords: Prevention, health screening, personal health