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The vast majority of U.S. adults don’t get anywhere near enough physical activity to help reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease events like heart attack and strokes, according to the American Heart Association (AHA).
What’s even more troubling is many of the people more apt to have a sedentary lifestyle — including those who are older, female, low-income, disabled, or Black — are also most likely to face systemic barriers to exercise, the AHA stresses in a new scientific statement published in the journal Circulation.
But a workout routine as simple as a daily 20-minute walk could help reduce some of the disproportionate heart health harms associated with an inactive lifestyle, the AHA concluded in its analysis of how barriers to exercise contribute to disparities in cardiovascular health.
“Many groups who had poor heart health also had low levels of physical activity,” said Gerald Jerome, PhD, lead author of the AHA statement and a professor of kinesiology at Towson University in Maryland, in a statement. “We know regular physical activity is a key component of optimal heart health.”
Americans Don’t Get Enough Daily Physical Activity
Fewer than 1 in 4 adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week, the minimum recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and endorsed by a wide range of medical groups including the AHA, according to the scientific statement. The good news is getting close to that target might be as simple as going out each day for a 20-minute walk, the AHA notes.
The beauty of a walk like this is that it doesn’t require fancy equipment, an expensive gym membership, or a major time commitment, says Daniel Lackland, DrPH, a professor and cardiovascular disease researcher at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, who wasn’t involved in the AHA statement. That’s because economic barriers are a major reason many people at high risk for cardiovascular disease don’t get enough exercise, Dr. Lackland says.
“There is also the perception that exercise and fitness is only for the elite,” Lackland adds.
Exercise Is for Everyone — No Equipment Necessary
To change minds and get more people moving, society needs to value exercise that doesn’t require a huge commitment — of time or money — just as much as high-end gyms and workout gear, according to the AHA statement. They also need safe spaces to walk or work out, and more access to free and low-cost group classes and exercise spaces.
“Some may choose to walk in a park or neighborhood, while others may choose a shopping mall that is climate-controlled with smooth walkable surfaces. Others may choose to walk around a structured track at a recreation center or school,” Lackland says. Where people go matters less than finding a place that’s safe and accessible, he adds.
Commuters can also try parking their car at the far end of the parking lot or a few blocks away from work to get more steps into their daily routine, Lackland suggests.
Getting Creative in Your Habits Can Have Major Activity-Boosting Benefits
People who are completely inactive will get the biggest benefit from adding a 20-minute daily walk to their routines, Lackland says. Benefits can include improvements in many risk factors for cardiovascular disease including body weight, blood pressure, and blood sugar.
And if walking doesn’t work, any type of activity that gets people moving more can be beneficial, Lackland adds. Jumping rope, taking the stairs around the office building or the subway, roller skating, or even doing fitness routines while seated can help improve heart health.
Beyond this, people also need to know they don’t need to do 20 minutes all at once, especially if they don’t have the ability or time to make this happen, Lackland adds. That 20-minute walk could be broken up into two or even four separate walks over the course of a day and still get similar results.
“Certainly, the more exercise and rigorous the activity, typically the better [it will be] for cardiovascular health,” Lackland says. “But benefit can be achieved with any activity and duration and frequency.”
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