by Tom Heston, MD, FAAFP

Is exercise always necessary to keep your heart healthy? The definitive answer is NO. Research shows that increasing your day to day physical activity ("lifestyle activity") is just as effective as participation in a structured exercise program in losing weight and reducing cardiac risk factors. What is the implication of this? This is great news! For people who don't like jogging or exercise machines, they can get as good a benefit by increasing their daily activity, e.g. gardening or household chores. If you can take the stairs instead of an elevator, these studies suggest that you get a real, measurable benefit.

Financial Disclosure: no financial conflicts of interest