Get Active for Your Heart

Studies suggest that being physically active in middle age can increase your life expectancy by two years, the same benefit as giving up smoking.

Furthermore, people of all ages who are physically active are half as likely to get cardiovascular disease as those that are inactive.

Being active at any age helps control your weight, reduce blood pressure and cholesterol and will provide long term benefits for your heart health and general health.

Your heart is a muscle and needs exercise to help it keep fit so that it can pump blood efficiently around your body. Physical activity improves your physical and mental health – helping you to look and feel great.

Before you start becoming more physically active, it’s important to seek advice from your GP, especially if you have a condition that you’re taking prescribed medication for.

What kind of activity is good for my heart?

Being physically active doesn’t have to mean long gym sessions or strenuous work-out regimes. You could go swimming, take exercise classes or play a sport, but physical activity also includes everyday things like walking, gardening and climbing stairs.

You can reap the benefits of being more active from all sorts of physical activity - any increase will be good your health.

How do I get started?

Set yourself a goal to build up to at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity on five or more days a week. Moderate physical activity that makes you breathe more heavily than normal and makes you warmer.

If 30 minutes is too much for you at the moment, build up slowly by:

• starting with ten minutes activity at least three times a day and start slowly at a level that suits you
• gradually building up the time and frequency until 30 minutes feels easier
• choosing a variety of activities that you enjoy
• trying to do something every day.

Remember, it’s best to stop exercising if you feel any pain or discomfort.

It’s never too late to start

Everyone can benefit from getting physical – whatever your age, size or physical condition. Just remember that you are never too old or too unfit to start doing something.

The good news is that inactive people that start to do moderate physical activity feel the biggest health benefits. Your health risks will decrease as soon as you start to do more!

More information

For ideas on how to get active, visit our Publications section to obtain our:

Get active booklet
Get kids on the go booklet
Physical activity and your heart booklet 
Put your heart into walking booklet

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