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The role of exercise in maintaining heart health and preventing cardiovascular diseases

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of mortality worldwide, accounting for an estimated 17.9million lives each year, representing 32% of global death cases. In Singapore, 23 people die from cardiovascular disease (heart diseases and stroke) every day. In 2022, cardiovascular disease accounted for 31.4% of all deaths, meaning almost 1 out of 3 deaths in Singapore is due to heart diseases or stroke. 

CVD is a class of disease related to our heart or blood vessels which includes stroke, heart failure, hypertension, coronary artery diseases. Among the many risk factors leading towards CVD, a sedentary lifestyle, characterized by consistently low levels of physical activity, is recognized as a leading contributor to poor cardiovascular health. Regular exercise and physical activity offer many health-related benefits and helps lower risks of CVD. 

Here are some benefits that exercise helps in maintaining our heart health and preventing CVD:

Improves blood pressure and reduces blood sugar levels 

Our blood pressure increases and decreases during and after exercising, this helps regulate our blood pressure and keep it under control. Also our body utilizes glucose and energy reserves as fuel during exercise, which helps regulate our blood sugar levels.

Lipid Profile

Exercise helps increase our good (HDL) cholesterol and reduces the bad (LDL) cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Regular exercise reduces the risk of our arteries becoming clogged with atherosclerosis, a condition for plaque build-up along the wall of our arteries. 

Improves heart function

Regular exercise helps strengthen our heart muscles, which enables it to pump more efficiently. This helps reduce workload on our heart and helps lowers blood pressure.

Manages weight

Exercising when done regularly increases our metabolism which helps with weight management, through burning more calories throughout the day. Maintaining a healthy weight helps reduce the risks of developing CVD. 

How much exercise is recommended?

Singapore’s National Physical Activity guidelines recommend about 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise every week, spread across 30 minutes of five to seven times. Activities such as taking the stairs, engaging in brisk walking and other aerobic exercises. The American Heart Association also recommends incorporating strength training for aging-related diseases, especially for elderlies.

Overall, regular exercise offers many health benefits in supporting the role of exercise in maintaining our heart health and preventing cardiovascular diseases. More importantly, patients should always consult with a healthcare professional before starting an exercise regime. 

Tian D, Meng J. Exercise for Prevention and Relief of Cardiovascular Disease: Prognoses, Mechanisms, and Approaches. Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2019 Apr 9;2019:3756750

Nystoriak MA, Bhatnagar A. Cardiovascular Effects and Benefits of Exercise. Front Cardiovasc Med. 2018 Sep 28;5:135.

Gerhard Schuler, Volker Adams, Yoichi Goto, Role of exercise in the prevention of cardiovascular disease: results, mechanisms, and new perspectives, European Heart Journal, Volume 34, Issue 24, 21 June 2013, Pages 1790–1799,

Tan.S.Y 2020, Department of Cardiology, Director of Cardiovascular Rehabilitation & Preventative Cardiology, NHCShttps://www.singhealth.com.sg/news/patient-care/benefits-of-exercise-on-heart-health

Singapore Heart Foundation, <https://www.myheart.org.sg/health/heart-disease-statistics/>

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