Sister to Sister

Getting active doesn’t mean you have to take up running or join a gym. It starts with simply moving more during the day – by taking the stairs instead of the elevator, choosing a faraway parking spot, or walking to a coworker’s cubicle instead of picking up the phone to talk.

Even small increases in activity can lower your risk of heart disease enormously and help you feel better physically, emotionally, and mentally. You may experience less stress, be less likely to overeat, and feel calmer and happier. If that isn’t enough, think of the good example you’ll be setting for your family and friends!

How does physical activity help your heart?

Physical activity helps to control many of the risk factors for heart disease: cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, blood pressure and stress. So it isn’t surprising to find that 35 percent of deaths from heart disease could be avoided through increased activity. In fact, the cardiac risk of being inactive is comparable to the risk from smoking cigarettes.

How much is enough?

Ideally, women would engage in some physical activity for 30 minutes on most days of the week. Since that’s not always practical, it’s important to recognize that every incremental increase in physical activity yields some health benefit. Plus, small steps can easily lead to bigger ones!

What can you do to increase your level of physical activity?

• Get moving. Find an activity that you enjoy and make it convenient to your lifestyle. There are plenty of easy ways to get active!
• Look for ways to add activity to everyday life. Take the stairs rather than the escalator or elevator, park far from the door at the mall, play tag with your kids.
• Set measurable goals. Setting a goal that you know you can keep, instead of shooting for the stars will keep you moving and motivated!
• Forget the “no pain, no gain” mantra. Pay attention to your body. If you feel pain, shortness of breath, dizziness or nausea, take a break. You may be pushing yourself too hard.
• Build your support system. Finding an exercise partner is a wonderful way to get moving, have fun, and spend quality time with a friend. Ask your friends and family to join you as you work toward the goal of heart health. You can also visit the Sister to Sister Community to find out how other women get motivated.
• You will get benefits. If you don’t have a solid chunk of time in your day to devote to exercise, break up exercise into more than one shorter sessions.
• Eat heart healthy foods. Foods that fuel your body make it easier to move. Learn how to pick out the best foods for your heart.

 Be sure to download our Exercising For Your Heart fact sheet which contains this information in a printer friendly version.

This heart health fact sheet is also available in Spanish to download