raising the bar.(exercise in prevention of heart diseases)(Brief Article)

You've heard it before: If you have heart disease, or never want to get it, exercise is one of your best allies. But hitting the gym three times a week may not be good enough anymore.

As researchers gather more data--and as Americans grow more sedentary--the recommendations for physical activity are changing. Even if you need to step up your routine, staying in shape is a goal within almost everyone's reach. It's more about consistent effort than Herculean exertion.

Like any muscle, the heart is conditioned by regular sessions of physical activity. A fit heart pumps a higher volume of blood per beat than one that's out of shape, giving you the stamina for bursts of activity, such as sprinting up five flights of stairs. But exercise also single-handedly reduces many potential threats to cardiac health by lowering cholesterol levels and blood pressure, as well as fighting obesity and relieving stress.

Perhaps the last time you heard, heart health authorities were advising 60 minutes of moderate exercise three times a week. But since 1996, recommendations for both prevention and treatment of heart disease have become more comprehensive. Just 10 years ago, doctors prescribed rest rather than exercise after a heart attack. But now they say a weakened heart must be built up again. The bottom line is that a sedentary lifestyle is dangerous, whether your heart is healthy or not.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, the Surgeon General's Of rice and American Heart Association (AHA), the current consensus for heart ,health and exercise is aerobic exercise (walking, jogging, cycling, swimming or racquet sports) at least five days a week for 20 to 60 minutes, along with at least two 30-minute weight-lifting sessions weekly. The latest studies also show that breaking up physical activity into 10- to 15-minute segments throughout the day is just as beneficial as one long session. The results of such a routine are dramatic. Researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston found that men who exercised at least five times a week had 46 percent fewer heart attacks than those who worked out once a week or less.

While activities like vacuuming or gardening are good ways to burn calories, they are not enough in the ...