Scientific exercise for heart and bone health

Exercise Makes Your Heart Healthier

The efficiency of the heart depends on the strength and effectiveness of the heart muscle's contractions, and exercise can enhance this contractility. The heart receives its nutrients from the blood vessels we call the "coronary arteries." Exercise can increase coronary blood flow, improving the heart's nutritional status. In today's world, where cardiovascular diseases increasingly affect young and middle-aged men, men who exercise regularly undoubtedly have a greater safety margin.

Exercise makes the heart contract and relax more effectively. Cardiac contraction and relaxation function is an important indicator of heart health, and it gradually declines with age. Animal studies abroad have shown that appropriate exercise load can strengthen the heart muscle, increase heart weight, improve blood and oxygen supply to the heart, and ultimately enhance cardiac contraction and relaxation function.

Exercise slows down the heart rate. Regular, appropriate exercise can lower a person's resting heart rate. For example, consider someone who engages in moderate-intensity exercise (with a heart rate typically around 150 beats per minute) for one hour daily. Compared to a normal person who rarely exercises, the difference in heart rate is significant: the person who exercises daily can reduce their heart rate by 164,250,000 beats over 50 years, roughly equivalent to the number of heartbeats a person who never exercises would experience in 4.5 years. This demonstrates that regular exercise reduces the workload on the heart.

Exercise reduces the risk of heart disease. Numerous studies show that exercise can lower the risk of heart disease. A three-year follow-up study of over 20,000 healthy individuals showed that those who exercised 1-2 times per week had a 36% lower risk of heart disease, while those who exercised 3-4 times per week had a 48% lower risk.

The duration of exercise depends on age, intensity, and individual adaptability; generally, 20-60 minutes per session is ideal. For those who are not used to exercise, 15-20 minutes per session is sufficient when starting out, gradually increasing the duration as you adapt.

Exercise gives you a strong bone structure.

The normal metabolic process of bone is called "bone regeneration," which involves the continuous cycle of osteoclasts dissolving bone and osteoblasts filling it in, maintaining a balance. After age 35, the rate of bone resorption gradually exceeds the rate of bone synthesis, easily leading to osteoporosis. Previously dense bone becomes hollow and porous, making it more prone to fracture than healthy bone. Exercise can give you a strong bone structure.

Build a strong bone structure. The effectiveness of exercise in bone health has long been proven. Even people who are bedridden for years and take calcium supplements cannot resist the damage of osteoporosis. Bone shaping is largely completed by adulthood, while bone regeneration continues throughout life. Through exercise, young people can cope with osteoporosis later in life.

① Exercise expands and relaxes muscles, continuously producing a positive effect on bone growth and remodeling. The response of bone cells to this mechanical stimulation is a process of self-activation and self-regeneration.

② Exercise improves blood circulation throughout the body and in the bones, stimulating bone tissue to fully absorb and utilize calcium and other minerals ingested from the body.

Gravity-based exercise is most effective for bone health. Gravity-based exercise requires you to stand and bear your own weight. Walking, for example, is often considered the essence of gravity-based exercise. You can also modify it to increase intensity, such as climbing mountains or stairs. Jumping exercises like rope skipping, basketball, and volleyball, in addition to requiring you to stand and bear your own weight, also exert pressure on the bones from the impact of the ground during jumps, making them even better for bone health. Swimming is also highly recommended. In water, the range of motion of the lumbar spine and limb joints increases, further improving muscle strength and the coordination of the entire skeleton and muscles, directly stimulating the bones.

Exercise can improve balance and agility, reduce the risk of accidents, and lower the risk of fractures.