Today, we live in an era of conveniences and comforts. For example, we don’t have to walk up the stairs, because we have elevators and escalators; we don’t have to walk to the end of the lane because we have motorcycle taxis available for hire; we even have communication technology that allows us to communicate with the outside world without going out to meet people face to face. As a result, many people are living their life in front of a screen such as a computer screen or a smartphone rather than moving their bodies. However, the result is that we have greater risk of heart disease, which is primarily caused by lack of exercise.
One major cause of heart disease is abnormal metabolism in the body, which causes chronic disease such as diabetes and hypertension. These conditions affect the body’s circulation system that primarily relies on the heart. In patients with diabetes and high cholesterol and high triglyceride levels, exercise can lower blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
Physical movements in the form of walking fast or performing household chores are beneficial health activities. However, in order to benefit the heart, it is also necessary to enhance the function of the lungs and heart through increased exercise by regularly exercising by at least 3 times per week, and the duration of each exercise session should be at least 20-30 minutes. The most essential thing during exercise is to have the heart or pulse reach the target heartrate, which can be calculated from the following formula:
- Maximum heart rate = 220-age (in years).
- Target heart rate = 60-70% of the maximum heart rate.
Measuring your pulse is easy. You can do so by simply holding your wrist for 15 seconds and then multiplying your count by 4 while exercising. (Today, there are pulse-measuring devices available in the form of wrist watches.)
