Cardiac Improvement

There are four major areas that help maintain and strengthen the cardiovascular system which include exercise, health diet, no smoking and avoidance of excessive alcohol.  There are a variety of exercise regimes that can be done such as duration, intensity and interval exercise.  The main principle behind an exercise causes the muscle in the body to need more oxygen.  In response to the exercise the heart responses by increasing its rate, increasing blood pressure and redirecting blood to maximize the amount of oxygen that circulates.  A minimum of 30 minutes per day is generally recommended.

Eating a health, well balanced diet is important.  It should include low fat, low salt and high fiber.  These types of foods help control weight, cholesterol levels, muscles strength and provide vitamins and minerals. 

No smoking is a definite necessity.  Smoking greatly harms the cardiovascular system by forming blood clots, causing stroke, increasing blood pressure and therefore decreases the ability to exercise properly. Smoking increases the risk for heart attack by 2 times.

Avoiding excessive alcohol also strengthens the cardiovascular system.  Excessive use of alcohol can cause cardiomyopathy (disease of the heart muscle), coronary disease, stroke and hypertension.  It is recognized that 5 ounces of red wine for women and 2 5 ounces of red wine for men be helpful for the cardiac system.

Managing other health issues such as diabetes can slow the destructive process to the cardiovascular system.  Avoidance of stress or good stress management helps as well.