Did you know that cardiovascular diseases are responsible for 1 in 4 deaths in the United States? It’s one of the leading causes of death for both men and women.

With plaque building up and arteries getting narrower to cause decreased blood flow, your body puts more strain on the heart than it can handle, until it isn’t able to.

A prominent risk factor for deteriorating cardiovascular health is a lack of physical activity.

We’ve all heard the benefits of exercising—losing weight, better digestion, clearer skin—but most people don’t know just how important it is for our heart.

Let’s delve deeper into the relationship between exercising and heart health.

New Research: The Link between Arterial Stiffness and Exercising

Exercise is one of the best ways to improve arterial health and minimize the risk of heart diseases. A study published in the Journal of Physiology focusing on the impact of exercise on arterial stiffness has three major findings.

First, around four to five weekly sessions of exercise over a lifetime reduce central arterial stiffness in older individuals.

The second finding concluded that lifelong causal exercise frequency, which comprises of 2 to 3 workout sessions in a week, can lower stiffness in the carotid artery and reduce the risk of high blood pressure in older individuals, but doesn’t affect arterial stiffness.

Lastly, lifelong exercise training, irrespective of the dose, doesn’t affect peripheral arterial stiffness.

What Do The Results Tell Us?

While it’s true that two to three workout sessions a week are sufficient to improve the health of medium-sized arteries, one requires at least four to five sessions for a decrease in the stiffness of larger arteries.

As such, arteries require long-term exercise intervention, and training of one year alone isn’t sufficient to reverse the damage to the vessel structures.

What Should You Do Next?

The best way to restore your heart’s optimal health and wellness is to draft a workout routine that you can stick to for most of your life.

This is where a fitness trainer comes in.

From helping you plan the right workout for your fitness goals to ensuring that you’re sticking to the plan religiously, a certified personal trainer can help you on your fitness journey toward optimal cardiovascular health.

If you’re looking for experienced personal training Alexandria, On The Go Fitness Pro has a team of expert virtual gym trainers in Alexandria and Arlington, VA.

Our online fitness trainers and running coach Alexandria VA will help you stay motivated as you overcome the challenges of working out at home during the pandemic.  

Sign up with our fitness professionals today and benefit from our expertise!