Exercise- Good for the Heart! at 15:07

Yesterday I read an article stating 25 reasons to exercise. Most of the reasons deal with strengthening the heart, which did not surprise me; however, it made me think of why it was good for the heart.  This lead me to an article written by Dr. J Kelly Smith titled "Long-term Exercise and Atherogenic Activity of Blood Mononuclear Cells in Persons at Risk of Developing Ischemic Heart Disease." In other words: How long term exercise and physical activity helps prevent loss of blood circulation and cardiovascular disease (CVD).

The National Institutes of Health Consensus Conference recently came out with a statement claiming children and adults are recommended to acquire 30 minutes of "moderate intensity" physical activity daily.  This is because there is a strong correlation between exercising and reduced CVD.  Although the paper bluntly states, the reason for this correlation is unknown, it speculates it is related to the decreases the risk of hypertension (high blood pressure), obesity, hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol) and insulin resistance (diabetes)- all increasing the chance of CVD.

A team of doctors combined their thoughts and ideas to create a study.  They chose 52 subjects to participate in a 6 month long study where doctors regulated exercise.  As the doctors monitored the subjects, they took readings on certain types of cells that are known to tear or/and clog arteries and the cells that repair the torn arteries. Over the course of 6 months of at least, 30 minutes of exercise a day, the "bad" cells' production decreased while the "good" cells remained constant.

Although the cause of this process is unknown, the correlation between the decrease in CVD and increase in exercise is too strong to disregard.  In my opinion- it's not just a coincidence.