Just how much exercise truly protects the heart?
Two-thirds of Americans don't get the minimum amount of aerobic, muscle-strengthening, and combined physical activity recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Heart Association (AHA). Those recommendations are: at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity every week, or an equivalent combination.
Doing the CDC/AHA recommended amount of activity reduces your risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) by about 9%. Add the risk reduction from a healthy plant-based diet -- it cuts the risk by 19% -- plus the benefits of a supportive posse, and you'll be on your way to a substantially healthier cardiovascular system. But you can create an even more dramatic safety net around the health of your cardiovascular system by getting as much moderate to vigorous exercise as you can.
That's the conclusion of a study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. It found that, over the course of around eight years, getting three to four times the recommended amount of exercise slashes your CVD risk by 30%.
If that seems like more time than your schedule can accommodate, add whatever additional activity time you can. Park a mile from your work and fast-walk there and back each day or make sure you do resistance exercises every even day of the month. Get creative. Have fun. Extend your limits to protect your heart and achieve your youngest ActualAge.
Discover how to do that at 4YOUngevity.com and in my upcoming book, "YOU: Getting Older, The Owner's Manual for The Golden Years."
Health pioneer Michael Roizen, M.D., is chief wellness officer emeritus at the Cleveland Clinic and author of four No. 1 New York Times bestsellers. Check out his latest, "The Great Age Reboot: Cracking the Longevity Code for a Younger Tomorrow," and find out more at www.4YOUngevity.com. Email your health and wellness questions to Dr. Mike at questions@4YOUngevity.com.
(c)2026 Michael Roizen, M.D.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
(c) 2026 Michael Roizen, M.D. Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
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