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Tending to your heart health on a daily basis is an oft-overlooked habit. To be fair, your heart health is one of those things that you may easily neglect until, well, you can’t anymore. However, preventive care doesn’t have to be complicated. 

As longevity-focused physician Peter Attia, M.D., explains on an episode of the mindbodygreen podcast, the path to a healthy heart starts with one thing: a good sweat.

Why exercise is the ultimate elixir for heart disease

According to Attia, exercise’s benefits for the heart are simply undeniable—just like how eating vegetables is good for you or how smoking increases your risk of lung cancer. It’s pretty much indisputable!

“Similarly, if you look at all of the metrics that are associated with longevity, there are none that even come within the same ZIP code as having a very high cardiorespiratory fitness,” he says. 

And yet another study showed that one or two weekly sessions of moderate- or vigorous-intensity leisure/recreational activity were all that was necessary to reduce the risk of dying2 from cardiovascular disease (40%), cancer (18%), or something else (30%) compared with inactive individuals.

We could go on and on; the link between exercise and longevity is well documented.

Attia’s exercise tips 

Most people would assume that heart-healthy exercise consists of tons of cardio. According to Attia, that’s certainly not the only thing you should focus on. Below, some of his best exercise tips: 

Strength training isn’t just about lifting the heaviest weights in the gym; it’s also about prepping your body for the long haul. 

“I think of strength training as a form of retirement saving. Just as we want to retire with enough money saved up to sustain us for the rest of our lives, we want to reach older age with enough of a ‘reserve’ of muscle (and bone density) to protect us from injury and allow us to continue to pursue the activities that we enjoy,” Attia previously told mbg.

Another underrated focus: grip strength. “How hard you can grip with your hands, which involves everything from your hands to your lats (the large muscles on your back),” Attia says.

​​Increased muscle strength, as demonstrated by a stronger grip, has been associated with increased cardiovascular health in large longitudinal population studies3. Not to mention, the force of one’s grip has even been correlated to overall longevity4. 

Lastly, we have leg day. Research5 shows people with strong legs are less likely to develop heart failure after a heart attack—pretty impressive, no?

Attia recommends incorporating hip-hinging movements, such as the dead lift and squat, but also step-ups, hip-thrusters, and countless single-leg variants of exercises that strengthen the legs, glutes, and lower back. 

The takeaway

Tending to your heart health doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, it can be as simple as exercising more often and shaking up your normal cardio routine to incorporate more strength training. 

Then if you really want to elevate your cardiovascular health, consider adding more heart-healthy foods to the list or investing in heart supplements for added benefits. Great news! We have a list of our favorites here.