Exercise For Heart Disease and Stroke

By Ellie Sweum, PT

Gateau Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine

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Exercise For Heart Disease and Stroke

In 2010 in the United States, heart disease was the leading cause of death and stroke was the third leading cause of death. The two diagnoses combined for total health care costs exceeding 500 billion dollars. Heart disease and stroke are also often preventable. Heart disease and stroke share many common risk factors and controlling these risk factors is challenging, but possible. In order to modify the risk factors, it is important to know what they are. The common risk factors of heart disease and stroke include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, poor diet and physical inactivity, overweight and obesity.

Exercise as part of your lifestyle will help manage and prevent the risk factors of heart disease and stroke. Doing more than 150 minutes of moderate physical activity or 60 minutes of vigorous physical activity a week whether at work, in the home, or elsewhere can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke by approximately 30%.

Exercise helps improve your cholesterol and blood pressure levels. Regular physical activity will make your heart stronger and more efficient, resulting in lower blood pressure and it will help control your blood sugar by improving insulin sensitivity. Regular exercise also helps achieve a healthy weight, therefore helping to prevent abdominal obesity.

Membership in a facility like a Medically Oriented Gym (M.O.G.) is an excellent way to achieve your health and fitness goals and work toward reducing the risk factors for heart disease and stroke. Each M.O.G. member receives a comprehensive assessment as part of their membership to provide data for development of an exercise program that is appropriate to that member. Each fitness assessment includes the following measurements waist circumference (to assess waist obesity), Body Mass Index (BMI) (to assess risk for disease based on height and weight), body fat percentage (to assess lean muscle mass vs. fat mass), and Vo2max testing (to assess aerobic capacity). After these values are collected, each member will have a custom exercise program developed to help them achieve their goals and address unhealthy assessment values.

At each visit, the client will work with a licensed Physical Therapist or Physical Therapist Assistant to ensure that technique is correct and the client is progressing toward their goals. The fitness assessment values are re-assessed every 90 days and provided to the client and their doctor if desired. Group exercise classes are also offered and monthly educational events will be provided to promote healthier lifestyles.