Newswise — Not starting an exercise program can kill you. So can starting an exercise program.
It doesn't have to be that way, says Michael Cannon, M.D., a physician and assistant professor of community and family medicine at Saint Louis University School of Medicine.
"The more intense the exercise, the higher the chance of injury and the higher the risk of heart attack," Dr. Cannon says. "However new exercise recommendations make it easier than ever for people to exercise safely."
Recent research shows you don't have to work out so hard to get health benefits from exercise. The key is to exercise a total of 30 minutes nearly every day. Snippets of exercise that add up to a half hour -- a five minute walk to your car a couple times a day, a 15 minute stroll around the block with your dog, three minutes walking up and down the steps to do laundry -- can easily fit into the busiest day.
"Low-intensity, 30-minutes total exercise, five to seven days a week has been proven to improve health, improve your longevity and decrease the change of an injury or a heart attack," Dr. Cannon says.
While low-intensity exercise is much safer than the more rigorous "get your heart pumping hard for 20 minutes" variety, Dr. Cannon still suggests talking to your doctor before you break out the running shoes if you know you have two or more of the symptoms that put you at greater risk of heart attacks:
·Heart disease·Stroke or other vascular disease·Diabetes·Hypertension·High cholesterol·Sedentary lifestyle·Are obese·Smoke·Are a man older than 45·Are a woman older than 55
"If you're a man who is older than 45 or a woman older than 55, you already have one risk factor for a heart attack," Dr. Cannon says. "You are more likely to need to see a doctor before you begin exercising if you are middle aged."
If you get the green light to begin low-intensity workouts, 30 minutes of exercise a day eliminates five of the risk factors of heart attack -- diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, sedentary lifestyle and obesity, Dr. Cannon says.
Established in 1836, Saint Louis University School of Medicine has the distinction of awarding the first M.D. degree west of the Mississippi River. Saint Louis University School of Medicine is a pioneer in geriatric medicine, organ transplantation, chronic disease prevention, cardiovascular disease, neurosciences and vaccine research, among others. The School of Medicine trains physicians and biomedical scientists, conducts medical research, and provides health services on a local, national and international level.
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