If you really want to improve your health, then you need to get moving. Find out how consistent exercise offers so many benefits.
According to recent studies, exercise can do more than just improve your physical health. In fact, it may provide heart health benefits for those who suffer from stress, anxiety, and depression. In a study that was presented at the American College of Cardiology’s 71st Annual Scientific Session, regular exercise nearly doubles the heart benefits for those with depression or anxiety.
The Study
Researchers analyzed the effects of regular physical activity on people with and without depression or anxiety. According to their results, by completing 150 minutes of exercise per week, those with anxiety or depression reduced their heart risk by 22%. In contrast, those without either condition only reduced their risk by 10%.
Initially, researchers analyzed the rates of major coronary events in patients who reported at least 500 metabolic equivalent (MET) minutes per week compared to those who exercised less. Over the course of their study, researchers found that those with depression or anxiety had more than double the benefit of those who didn’t have those conditions.
Hadil Zureigat, MD, the study’s lead author, clarified that the study doesn’t conclude that exercise is only effective if you have depression or anxiety. However, Zureigat notes that regular physical activity can improve mood and potentially reduce the risk of heart disease for those with depression or anxiety.
According to Michael Emery, MD, who was not involved in the study, “exercise is medicine both physically and psychologically, and these factors interplay such that when you are more physically healthy your psychological state is more robust, and when you are mentally more healthy your physical state is improved. This latter connection is both direct, the connection between hormonal stress levels and the physical state; and indirect, better healthy habits such as eating.”
Improving Health Through Fitness
Exercise can help keep the brain’s stress response in check and, as a result, improve cardiovascular health. According to Emery, he has seen regular exercise benefit not only his patients but also his own health.
As someone who has a high-stress job, physical activity has helped him find some relief. “I see it in my own personal health,” Emery says. “Exercise for me is what keeps the stress at bay.”
The Outlook
If you have depression or anxiety, consistent exercise can benefit your health greatly. However, you don’t need to have either of these conditions to experience the benefits that exercise can bring. If you’re finding it hard to include 150 minutes of exercise in your weekly schedule, consider taking the stairs, parking farther away, or playing a sport.
In addition to exercise, you can boost your heart health by taking supplements like L-arginine Plus. Its ingredients effectively promote circulation, blood pressure health, cholesterol health, and more. Give your heart the support it deserves by exercising regularly and taking L-arginine Plus.