Do you want to protect your heart but hate exercise? Is the very thought of a sweaty, muscle-punishing workout enough to give you the shakes?
Then I’ve got the news you’ve been waiting for. You can take everything you’ve been told about “working out” and toss it in the bin.
It’s not about pumping iron for hours. Or marching in place until you’re ready to drop. It’s unnecessary to log hour after hour in a gym until your muscles feel like they’re going to pop.
New research reveals that for overweight folks in search of heart protection, the BEST form of “exercise” is practically effortless. You won’t even need gym shorts or sneakers for this one.
It’s a classic case of “less is more.” And it could help give you the BEST heart health of your life despite those extra pounds.
Boost your heart health in minutes a day
Now, of course, being overweight by itself is a risk factor for heart disease and other serious health problems. Which is why you should still make your best effort to shed the extra pounds.
But let’s face it, losing weight is tough. And even when you ARE on the right track, it can be frustratingly slow.
That’s where the new study on heart health and exercise delivers a ray of light. The research has revealed a way to help keep your ticker ticking even if you’re still well over your ideal weight.
Believe it or not, it’s any exercise. At any effort level. For any amount of time.
Sure, you CAN sweat yourself silly in the gym for an hour (or three) if you want. And if you’re into that kind of thing, don’t let me stand between you and that leg press. For some folks, the endorphin rush from exercise is well worth the effort.
But it turns out, in some cases, a nice-and-easy 10-minute stroll is nearly as good as that hour of maximum effort. Seriously.
The guidelines recommend 150 minutes a week of moderate or vigorous activity. And overweight and obese people who hit that easy exercise target can get some pretty big benefits.
MAXIMUM heart results with MINIMUM exercise effort
For the obese, those 150 minutes of exercise can cut the risk of cardiovascular disease in HALF. Fantastic, right? But check this out…
ANY EXERCISE AT ALL for ANY AMOUNT OF TIME is almost as good. Even just 10 minutes at a time will do the trick.
If you’re obese, ANY movement at all will still cut your heart risk by a third.
And if you’re overweight, this same low-effort approach will cut your heart disease risk by 47 percent. Make a little more effort, going over that 150 minutes, and you can bump that up to 52 percent.
Again, the ideal is to weigh LESS and move MORE. That should always be your goal. According to the new study, folks with a normal BMI and who stick to 150 minutes of weekly exercise have the lowest risk of all.
But don’t be discouraged if you can’t pull that off. Or if it takes some time to get there. Because as that same study shows, even a little effort can go a long way for your heart health.
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