3 sports for a healthy heart

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Extract from the article: According to the WHO, a sedentary lifestyle is the fourth leading risk factor for death worldwide. It is the No. 1 enemy of the heart. That's why it's so important to be active. According to Dr Damien Ekoué-Kouvahey, Sports Physician, « regular, mo

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According to the WHO, a sedentary lifestyle is the fourth leading risk factor for death worldwide. It is the No. 1 enemy of the heart. That's why it's so important to be active.   According to Dr Damien Ekoué-Kouvahey, Sports Physician, « regular, moderate exercise circulates blood through the body, providing it with the nutrients and oxygen it needs to function ». Here are a few sports to help protect the heart.

Swimming to prolong the effort gently

This sport puts the heart through its paces, while avoiding joint trauma because there is no contact with the ground, points out sports doctor Dr Damien Ekoué-Kouvahey. Ideally, you should swim in a 50-metre pool rather than a 25-metre one. It's very important not to interrupt the effort too much. « Lying down facilitates the return of blood to the heart. The water allows the body to cool down naturally and prevents excessive sweating. This helps us to endure the effort for longer. All the muscles develop in harmony and the water helps to stretch the tendons, ligaments, joints and muscles », explains Dr Damien Ekoué-Kouvahey, Sports Doctor.

Running to look after your body and your heart

A fairly gentle sport that's easy to get into, running is a way of gradually getting back into a form of sport that has been neglected for some years. According to Dr Damien Ekoué-Kouvahey, it is even the sport that protects the heart the most from accidents, as it develops its resistance and recovery capacities without too much effort.

Cycling for a perfectly healthy heart 

« Regular cycling can considerably reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.It stimulates the large muscle groups in the legs to raise the heart rate, which helps not only to improve cardiovascular health, but also to burn calories », explains Dr Damien Ekoué Kouvahey. Whatever exercise you choose, 30 minutes five days a week is an ideal place to start.

William O.