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Decades of sedentary behavior (for instance, sitting most of your waking hours) may cause your heart muscle to shrink and stiffen. But a recent study suggests that for longtime couch potatoes, a mash-up of various kinds of aerobic exercise may also help restore heart health.
For the study, 53 healthy but sedentary middle-aged adults were divided into two groups. One (the exercise group) performed high- and moderate-intensity aerobic training 4 or more days per week for 2 years. The other (control group) usually engaged in yoga, balance training, and weight training 3 times per week for 2 years.
Each week, the exercise group did at the least one long session of aerobic exercise (equivalent to an hour of tennis or cycling) and one high-intensity session (eg, three minutes of low-intensity alternating with 4 minutes of high-intensity exercise). Exercising). They also did two or three sessions of moderate exercise (equivalent to brisk walking) and one session of strength training per week.
People within the exercise group showed significant improvements in how their bodies used oxygen, in addition to less stiffness in the center, while those within the control group had no such changes. This study was published on April 10, 2018. circulation.
