look after your heart

The fact that regular physical exertion is good for your health was verified way back in 1953.

​Inquisitive as to why London’s bus conductors had about half the rate of heart disease of the drivers, Dr Jerry Morris was able to link this to the 500-plus staircase steps they climbed each shift to their superior heart health.

Being physically active goes a long way toward good heart health. It is one of your most effective tools for strengthening the heart muscle and keeping your weight under control. Aerobic exercise improves circulation, which results in lowered blood pressure and heart rate. It also helps guard against any artery damage from high cholesterol, high blood sugar and high blood pressure that may lead to heart attack or stroke. ​

If we are to believe that four in ten British adults, and 80% of children, are so sedentary they do not meet even the minimum recommended levels for movement. We have to question why?  

​According to Peter Walker, author of The Miracle Pill – Why the sedentary world is getting it all wrong, the answer is simple. Once activity was labelled exercise. ​

Daily, constant exertion was an integral part of humanity for millennia, but in just a few decades movement was virtually designed out of people's lives through transformed workplaces, the dominance of the car, and a built environment which encourages people to be static.

​What for centuries was universal and everyday has become the fetishised pursuit of a minority, whether the superhuman feats of elite athletes, or a chore slotted into busy schedules. 

There is no getting away from the fact that inactivity is a major health burden. Yes, most people know physical activity is good for us. And yet 1.5 billion people around the world are so inactive they are at greater risk of everything from heart disease to diabetes, cancer, arthritis, and depression, even dementia. 

​Sedentary living now kills more people than obesity, despite receiving much less attention, and is causing a pandemic of chronic ill health many experts predict could soon bankrupt the NHS.

The good news is, it is never too late to start exercising and benefitting from all the health benefits that physical activity brings. Even if you have had, or you feel like you have had a lifetime of inactivity, we know that it can be hard to get started, but one of the easiest things to do is to try and reduce the amount of time spent sitting every day. Do not worry about which exercise you need to do, or which class to attend, just think about moving more and moving well!
 
– Chinese proverb
The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is now.