A Little Exercise Can Go a Long Way

(HealthScoutNews) -- A little bit of pain may be all you need to feel when it comes to exercising your heart.

The intensity of the physical exercise you need to do to reduce your risk of heart disease depends on your individual fitness level, says a study in the Feb. 18 issue of Circulation.

The harder you exercise, based on your own perception, the lower your risk of heart disease, even if the intensity level of your exercise doesn't meet the current recommendations for physical activity, the study found.

It's long been known that physical activity is associated with a decreased risk of heart disease and other chronic diseases. However, the level of exercise intensity required to achieve that benefit is less clear.

This study followed 7,337 men in the United States, average age 66, from 1988 to 1995. It found the relative risk of heart disease among men who perceived their exercise exertion as moderate was 14 percent less than men who rated their exercise exertion as weak.

Men who perceived their exercise intensity as somewhat strong had a 31 percent lower risk of heart disease, and men who rated their exercise intensity as strong had a 28 percent lower risk.

More information

Here's where you can learn more about exercise and your heart.

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