World Heart Day 2014: Experts suggest swimming, dancing, walking or cycling to keep heart disease at bay

29th September is World Heart day

With increased occurrences of heart diseases at a young age, coupled with a genetic tendency to develop heart ailments, many Indians are still unaware of the risk and repercussions of the condition. Wondering how you can keep your heart healthy? Here is some expert advice, cardiologists and healthcare professionals suggest that dancing, walking, cycling and swimming as some simple yet effective ways to keep heart diseases at bay. (Read: Heart disease in India — 6 shocking facts you should know)

‘An active lifestyle is the best form of preventive correction to avoid cardiac ailments. It is highly recommended to do 150 minutes of physical activity each week to help prevent heart disease,’ Neeraj Bhalla, senior consultant and director cardiology at the BLK Super Speciality Hospital, told IANS. Walking, cycling, dancing or swimming – activities that use larger muscles at low resistance – are good aerobic exercises. But it all depends on individual needs and reciprocation of body, he added.  He said that the most important thing is to lead a least stressful, but active and healthy life. 

‘It is true that Indians have a genetic predisposition to developing heart diseases and it occurs in them at a much younger age,’ Gunjan Kapoor, director of interventional cardiology at Noida’s Jaypee Hospital, told IANS. ’It has also been seen that Indians who have migrated to different countries like the US, Britain and other countries, as also Africa, continue have higher incidence of heart disease compared to natives of that country,’ Kapoor added. Bhalla said many studies have indicated that people of Indian subcontinent origin are not only more prone to cardiovascular diseases (CAD) but also prone to diabetes – one of CAD’s causes. (Read: Is over-exercising bad for the heart?)

According to statistics, cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in India – accounting for estimated 2.25 million deaths. And it has been estimated that by 2015 the number will rise to 2.94 million. Experts agree that despite such alarming figures, Indians still remain unaware about the condition and its effects. Anil Bansal, chief cardiologist at Ghaziabad’s Columbia Asia Hospital, said there is also a ‘sense of ignorance in the minds of the people’. He added that education is the ‘only key to bridge the gap between awareness and knowledge’ about cardiovascular diseases. ’We need to make people aware that with some modifications in their lifestyle they can prevent heart diseases. People need to be encouraged to opt for preventive healthcare and avoid visiting a doctor only in the emergency situations,’ Bansal told IANS.

Srikanth K.V., senior consultant for interventional cardiology at Bangalore’s Narayana Health City, suggested that awareness drives should be designed according to the target group being focused on. ’If we are talking about young children, then they should be given adequate education at the school level itself. For young adults, social media can be a good option; while for the working population, offices can take certain steps like avoiding snack vending machines and organising camps. Anganwadi workers too can play an essential role,’ Srikanth told IANS. (Read: Yoga for your heart – 20 poses to keep it healthy)

Tapan Ghose, director and head of department cardiology at Gurgaon’s Paras Hospital, attributed the rising incidence to ‘urbanisation, improper lifestyle and eating habits’.  ’Other aspects include obesity, alcoholism, smoking, hypertension and diabetes…A family history of cardiovascular disease is an important factor in the evaluation of a given individual’s cardiovascular risk,’ Ghose told IANS. 

6 ways exercise helps your heart stay healthy

We all know regular exercise is good for maintaining overall health, but it holds much more significance when it comes to heart health. The effect of exercise on heart is clearly seen in individuals who have a sedentary lifestyle. They have double the risk of dying from heart disease. This is also true for people who have other risk factors like smoking, high cholesterol levels and high blood pressure.

 ‘Regular exercise is an important approach to lowering the risk of heart disease because it simultaneously affects various risk factors of heart disease. Exercising for 30 minutes or more on most days of the week can help you lose weight, improve your cholesterol, and even lower your blood pressure by as many as five to seven points. The intensity of exercise can vary from light to moderate. However, for it to have a positive impact on heart health, the intensity should be vigorous enough to raise the heart rate by about 25% of basal rate,’ says Dr Nikhil Kumar, director, Cardiology, Fortis Memorial Research Institute. He explains how exactly exercise improves heart health.

It enhances heart muscle function: Exercise improves blood and oxygen supply to the heart, helping it function more efficiently. This, in turn, helps the heart have an improved ability to pump blood throughout the body.

It improves heart function under stress: When you exercise, your heart rate increases. So you breathe rapidly to meet the oxygen requirement of your body. With an improved heart muscle function, the oxygen supply to various organs in the body including the heart muscle also improves. This allows the heart to work better under stressful situations.

It improves circulation: Along with improving blood circulation throughout the body, physical activity also allows better blood flow through small blood vessels in the heart. These blood vessels have a higher risk of getting clogged and cause a heart attack. Exercise helps your body make more branches and connections between these blood vessels, so there are other routes for your blood to travel if the usual path is blocked by narrow arteries or fatty deposits. Read more 3 ways exercise helps your heart stay healthy

With inputs from IANS/ Shweta Sharma

Image Source: Getty Images

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• 10 things that may increase your risk of heart attack


• Here’s why Asians might be at a higher risk of heart disease


• 7 innovative ways to keep your child’s heart healthy

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