Repairing a Broken Heart

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Heart

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One of the many benefits of exercise is an increase in the
amount of blood vessels in your body.  As
muscles become stronger they need a better delivery system of blood and oxygen,
so the body responds by creating more blood vessels to service the increased
demand.

Recently, a small study performed at Leipzig
University in Germany has
taken this physiological principle to a new level. People with serious heart
conditions exercised by riding a bike for 30 minutes a day for four months. At
the end of the study, these participants had created new blood vessels in their
hearts. In essence, the consistent exercise caused their hearts to begin to
repair themselves.

 Many people with serious heart conditions believe that they
cannot exercise and their heart health will continue to rapidly decrease. This
research concluded that people with “heart failure” should exercise regularly,
pushing their cardiovascular limits. This results in building a stronger heart
muscle, similar to the effect of increased weights while strength training.

 The participants did not have acute heart problems and were
under the supervision of the research physicians. The research findings were
presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress Vienna 2007.

~Kerren Lynch-Gallagher, MS,NCTM,PFT