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If you are middle aged and out of shape, it isn’t too late to get active and improve your health, the American Heart Association says. A study in the journal Circulation showed that heart stiffness — a potential precursor to heart failure — decreased for middle-aged men who engaged in two years of the right kinds and amount of exercise.
Study participants who did high- and moderate-intensity exercise up to five times weekly had better heart elasticity and improved the way in which their bodies used oxygen, the research found. The Heart Association recommends weekly exercise should include:
- One high-intensity workout, such as an aerobic interval workout that boosts the heart rate for four minutes at a time in several spurts during the session.
- An hour-long moderate-intensity workout doing something you find fun, such as tennis, biking or walking.
- Two or three moderate workouts per week that might make you sweat, but still allow you to talk with someone.
- A strength training session.