The human heart is an essential part of the body that should be treated with utmost care. The heart is different from the skin which you can clean by bathing, using nice skin products or getting body massages. To have a healthy heart, a premium has to be placed on your lifestyle choices. Hence, the reason you must get rid of a sedentary lifestyle.
A sedentary lifestyle is basically just you sitting or lying for several hours daily without any physical movement. This lifestyle poses a lot of risks to your health such as heart disease, heart failure, death and your cardiovascular health at large. Prolonged sitting slows down blood flow, leading to an increase in cholesterol and fatty acid accumulation, which eventually leads to heart disease.
Sedentary Lifestyle Linked to Heart Disease
A study has shown that sitting for over 10 hours daily increases the risk of heart disease with 40 to 60% higher risk of heart failure and cardiovascular death. Sitting reduces blood flow, fat processing and insulin resistance. When sitting, 90% of lipoprotein produced by the body drops thereby resulting in cardiovascular disease with heart failure inclusive.
Without physical activities, you are prone to gain weight, have an increased blood pressure and high cholesterol level, all of which are risk factors for heart disease. To improve your cardiovascular health, you need to sit less, exercise more, maintain your stress levels and eat healthy.
Heart failure is a chronic condition caused by factors like obesity, diabetes and prolonged inactivity, and a sedentary lifestyle enhances these risk factors. Sitting for long hours increases insulin resistance which is linked to type 2 diabetes, a major contributor to cardiovascular disease.
Physical Activity Against Sedentary Lifestyle: Reduce the Risk of Heart Disease Through Healthy Lifestyle
Moving is a way to break your sedentary lifestyle. Engaging in physical activities can help reduce the time spent sitting and lying all day. Just like every other muscle, the heart needs physical activity or exercise to function properly.
Engaging in physical activities enhances the lung’s ability to pump oxygen into the blood for easy access to tissues and cells in the body. Being physically active can help reduce the risk of heart disease by as much as 35%, says a research.
Activities like walking, dancing, stretching and any other movement that will help you break long periods of inactivity is essential for the heart. Regular physical activities help control blood pressure, raise good cholesterol levels, reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes and increase calorie burn for a healthy weight. These promote overall health.
Being active does not only protect you from heart disease but helps your general well-being by reducing stress levels, improving your mood and helping you sleep better.
Wrapping Up
Constantly engaging in simple activities like walking, cycling, or dancing can significantly reduce risks related to heart diseases. Integrating 15 to 30 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity into daily routines can reduce potential heart failure risks from sedentary lifestyle. Prolonged sitting increases heart failure risk, so take action and become physically active!