The study tracked 10,000 adults over a period of 10 years. It compared those who exercised enough to get their heart rates up over short periods of time, to those who may have exercised twice as long but at a less intense pace. Researchers discovered that a shorter exercise period that involved sweating and an increased rate of breathing produced the healthier cardiovascular system in study participants.
One physician from Beth Israel Medical Center helps her patients to see that walking a leisurely pace is not exercise. Dr. Margaret Furman says "Walking along the streets and window shopping is not going to help. I always tell my patients that if you're walking and able to read the signs in the window, you're not exercising, you're walking too slow.”
The heart is a muscle, which like the other muscles of the body gets stronger by progressively applying the stress of exercise. The most effective way to strengthen the heart only requires 30 minutes of moderately intense exercise, for five days a week. Moderate activities may include exercises aerobic in nature such as power walking, jogging, the elliptical or riding a stationary bike. For those of you who are more advanced in athletic ability, 20 minutes of vigorous exercise, three days a week is sufficient. These activities may involve running or high energy sports such as tennis, soccer and basketball.