Physical inactivity is as much of a risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD) as high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, or cigarette smoking. Increased activity reduces the risk of CHD and can help to reduce other risk factors for CHD. Besides, it can be fun!

How Does Being More Active Lower Your Risk For Heart Disease?
When you become more active, you reduce your risk for CHD in several ways. Physical activity:

• It increases the proportion of HDL cholesterol (the good kind of cholesterol) in your blood and reduces levels of triglycerides, another type of blood fat that can clog arteries and promote CHD.
• Boosts the body's ability to clear away clots in the blood vessels
• Improves circulation and makes the heart a stronger and more efficient pump
• Can help prevent the development of diabetes
• Promotes weight loss and weight control even more than dieting
• Helps relieve stress
• Provides an alternative to harmful addictions such as nicotine and alcohol use
  

Are You Active Enough?
Although deliberate forms of exercise such as walking, jogging, or swimming are great, smaller periods of less intense physical activity also help reduce your risk for heart disease. The more physically active you are, the better off you'll be.

Experts now recommend that all adults accumulate at least 30 minutes or more of moderate-intensity physical activity on most, preferably all, days of the week. This doesn't mean, however, that you need to jog or swim 30 minutes a day. You also benefit from several shorter periods of physical activity throughout the day.

For example, if you walk 10 minutes around the mall while your shopping for clothes, take a 10-minute walk during your coffee break, and take a 10-minute walk around the block after supper (if you live in a safe neighborhood), this counts as your 30 minutes of physical activity. Even activities like gardening or cleaning can add up if done vigorously enough.

The bottom line: be more active throughout the day in whatever way you can.