When it comes to your heart, health is the first thing that comes to mind. You could be an athlete, a desk jockey or just a young adult working freelance at home, but giving time to your body and its well-being should be of utmost importance to you.
The thumb rule of taking care of your body is focusing on keeping your heart healthy, because, well, that’s where it gets the fuel from. Granted, there are people who are able to devote more time than others, but, the key is to remember that every little bit counts.Â
Created by the World Heart Federation, World Heart Day is celebrated on the 29th of September and aims to raise global awareness regarding heart health encouraging people to take useful steps towards a fitter heart. This World Heart Day, we at Playo are determined to tell you how indulging in sports can be the best thing you can do for your heart while subsequently motivating others in your life to do the same.
Let us have a look at some of the benefits that including sports in your lifestyle can make happen:
#1. A Healthy Heart
To say that physical activity plays an important role in keeping your heart healthy, would be a colossal understatement. According to a study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, physical activity helps lower risks of heart attacks. You already know that playing sports is good to strengthen your skeletal muscles; however, since the heart is also a muscle, the same applies to it too.
#2. Balanced Cholesterol Levels
Fluctuating cholesterol levels is probably one of the most common contributors to the risk of cardiovascular diseases like coronary heart disease, stroke, or peripheral arterial disease. Exercise stimulates certain enzymes that are responsible for moving LDL or bad cholesterol from your blood. Subsequently, this LDL gets digested and excreted thereafter. Thus, the more you exercise, the more LDL your body shall expel.
#3. Better Blood Circulation
Throwing a ball, running marathons, or going for a swim; as simple as they may sound, they help make your heart stronger with every session. When you make sports a part of your routine, your body stays well-oxygenated helping it stay more active while building endurance. Additionally, aerobic sports improve your lung capacity, blood volume and haemoglobin count.
#4. Reduced Hypertension
Hypertension or high blood pressure is one of the leading causes of stroke and heart diseases. As we mentioned above, indulging in sports results in a stronger heart. And, a strong heart pumps more blood with less effort making it more efficient. This lessens the force on your arteries, ultimately lowering your blood pressure. Exercise can act as a drug-free procedure to deal with hypertension.
#5. Diabetes Control
Diabetes has become a worldwide epidemic that affects approx 415 million people in the world. While living with diabetes is not easy, it is definitely doable to lead a healthy lifestyle while suffering from it. How? Well, sports to your rescue. Exercising helps diabetics by improving their glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity. This can, in turn, reduce the usage of oral medications and insulin injections, which pose a threat of side effects too. For people with prediabetes, playing sports regularly can lower the risk of developing diabetes as well.
At the end of the day, in the matters of the heart, you must tread lightly, worry less and start sporting more. Happy World Heart Day to you!
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