Heart disease: Walking for a healthy heart
What do I need to know about starting a walking program?
Try to make a daily walk an essential part of your day. It isn't necessary to walk an entire 30 minutes at a time; getting more activity throughout the day will be just as good. Accumulating activity throughout the day helps burn calories and maintain your weight.
Small activities such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator or parking far away and walking to your destination can add up quickly to the recommended 30 minutes of activity. Be creative. Instead of e-mailing or phoning a coworker, get up and walk to his or her desk. If you need to meet with someone, suggest taking a walk instead of staying inside.
To get the heart-healthy benefits of walking, you need to walk briskly enough to increase your pulse and breathing, but not so fast that you can't talk comfortably.
Test Your Knowledge
It isn't necessary to walk the recommended 30 minutes all at once each day. It's just as beneficial to spread my activity throughout the day.
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Why is walking good for my heart?
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| Author: | Robin Parks, MS | Last Updated: October 16, 2006 |
| Medical Review: | Caroline S. Rhoads, MD - Internal Medicine Cheryl Allind, RN, BS - Cardiac Rehabilitation Neil J. Stone, MD, FACC, FACP - Internal Medicine, Cardiology | |
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