Activate your heart

Did you know that a sedentary lifestyle is the number one risk factor for cardiovascular disease in women over 30? And did you know that with just 30 minutes of daily physical activity you could be preventing the onset of heart disease? Knowing this, the conclusion is simple: it´s time to get moving. Here we tell you why and how to do it according to your possibilities and objectives.

Why is it good to do exercise?

• It helps to reduce stress levels , anxiety and even depression.
• It strengthens the heart and prevents the possibility of a heart attack or angina.
• Combined with a healthy diet, sport helps to lose weight.
• It reduces blood pressure.
• It decreases the levels of LDL cholesterol (the ‘bad’ one), which is the one that can obstruct the arteries, and increases HDL cholesterol (the ‘good’ one).
• Collaterally, exercising will prevent you from falling into less healthy habits, such as smoking, drinking alcohol, or eating an unbalanced diet.

Types of exercise

• Aerobic: This exercise involves working several muscle groups which consequently increases the heart rate. This type of exercise, such as running, walking, or cycling, improves cardiorespiratory performance and decreases body fat percentage.
• Strength: These exercises are aimed at improving muscle function. Try to develop both your strength and endurance (ability to use your muscles for longer). By working on these parameters you will become more efficient regarding physical strength, and will therefore obtain a direct benefit for your cardiovascular health.

What sports can I do?

Run, swim, yoga, aerobics, zumba, body combat, body pump….there are many options. Get started now!

If you can’t practice any sports….

• Simply include some physical exercise in your daily routine:
• Walk up the stairs instead of using the lift or an escalator.
• Walk to work or home instead of always taking public or private transport.
• Go for a walk for an hour, if possible, two or three time per week.