Want to reduce your heart attack risk? Do this kind of exercise
When it comes to fortifying heart health and preventing a potential heart attack, cardiologists say one type of physical activity is better than the rest.
Heart disease is the nation's top killer, with more than 371,000 Americans dying of coronary heart disease in 2022.
'Aerobic exercise training should be promoted above all else,' Dr. Luke Laffin, a preventive cardiologist and co-director of the Center for Blood Pressure Disorders at the Cleveland Clinic, told TODAY.com.
Aerobic exercises include walking or jogging, swimming or cycling – even dancing.
These exercises raise your heart rate, with your cells using oxygen to produce energy, according to the Cleveland Clinic. They typically use large muscle groups in the body, too.
Laffin says multiple studies have shown aerobic activity is better than other types of exercise when it comes to reducing the result of a heart attack. Here's what you should know...
Aerobic activity – also known as cardio, referencing the Greek word for the heart – exercises the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, getting the heart to beat faster, according to Mayo Clinic.
Over time, regular cardio can mean can mean your heart doesn't have to work as hard, Cleveland Clinic notes.
Aerobic exercise can strengthen the blood vessels, improve the flow of oxygen throughout the body, lower blood pressure, increase 'good' cholesterol, and help to reduce the risk of heart disease – including coronary heart disease – and stroke. High blood pressure can lead to heart attack.
Anaerobic exercise, including strength and high intensity interval training, can also strengthen the heart and lungs. But, the benefits are different.
'Aerobic exercise and resistance training are the most important for heart health,' Johns Hopkins exercise physiologist Kerry Stewart said. 'Although flexibility doesn't contribute directly to heart health, it's nevertheless important because it provides a good foundation for performing aerobic and strength exercises more effectively.'
Well, federal health authorities say American adults need at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity each week. That's also what Laffin recommends, although the benefits grow if you do oven more.
The Baylor College of Medicine says splitting the 150 minutes into 30-minute intervals allow for five active days and two rest days.
'Jog, swim, golf, hike, play basketball, dance, do yoga — whatever you love to do. The most important thing is to get out there and do it,' UT Southwestern Medical Center cardiologist Dr. Ben Levin advises.
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Associated Press
33 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Long Island's last duck farm is quacking again after losing its entire flock to the bird flu
AQUEBOGUE, N.Y. (AP) — Doug Corwin knew there was a problem at his family's commercial duck farm in Long Island when he spotted scores of dead or lethargic birds during a barn inspection in January. Within days, Crescent Duck Farm became a casualty of the global avian flu outbreak, one of many farms around the U.S. that had to cull their entire flock, sending the prices of eggs and other agricultural commodities soaring. Now the more than century-old farm — the last duck farm remaining in a New York region once synonymous with the culinary delicacy — is cautiously rebuilding. But for Corwin, a 66-year-old fourth-generation farmer, it's not enough to bring the farm back to its 100,000-bird capacity. With ducks hatched from eggs spared from slaughter, he's working to preserve the unique lineage of fowl that's allowed his family's farm to thrive even as others on Long Island fell by the wayside — all while worrying that another flu outbreak would finally wipe him out. 'All I know is I don't want to be hit again,' Corwin said. 'If I go through this twice, I'm done as a duck farmer.' Make way for ducklings For months, Corwin and his reduced staff have been thoroughly sanitizing the farm's dozens of barns, clearing out hay and debris, and replacing feeders, ventilation systems, wooden and metal structures and more. At the end of May, the first wave of roughly 900 young ducks arrived from a nearby farm where they had been carefully raised in quarantine these last few months. Another batch of 900 arrived last week and some 900 more will soon make their way to the roughly 140-acre (55-hectare) farm in Aquebogue, which is tucked among the vineyards and agricultural lands of Long Island's North Fork, about 80 miles (129 km) east of Manhattan. By the end of next summer, Corwin hopes the first ducks will be ready to be processed and brought to market. But he says he won't rush the reopening. It will be many more months — if ever — before the operation, which processed about 1 million ducks for consumption annually, returns to full capacity, he said. 'I keep telling people I'm running a high hurdle race,' Corwin said. 'I've got a lot a lot of steps to get back to where we were.' Bird flu pandemic still looms Since 2022, the H5N1 strain of bird flu has been detected in all 50 states, leading to more than 1,700 recorded outbreaks affecting nearly 175 million birds, according to the most recent tally from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The outbreak at Corwin's farm shows how this strain has inflicted more damage on a wider range of species than past variants, said Dr. Gavin Hitchener, director of Cornell University's Duck Research Laboratory, located a short drive away in Eastport. Ducks have generally been less prone to serious illness and death than chickens and turkeys, he said. H5N1 is also vexing American cattle farmers after the virus jumped from fowl to cattle last year. 'Something has changed in the virus' makeup that has made it more virulent,' Hitchener said. With no end to the bird flu pandemic in sight, Corwin worries he won't be able to weather another outbreak. The farm received federal compensation for its euthanized ducks, but it wasn't nearly close to the market value of the birds — never mind the expense of rebuilding in a high cost region that also includes the Hamptons, he said. Corwin hopes the federal government will, at long last, require poultry operators to vaccinate their livestock against bird flu. It's an uphill climb, given the Trump administration's deep skepticism of vaccines and the long-standing opposition of far larger, industrial poultry operations, he acknowledged. 'I would sleep an awful lot better at night. But right now I'm very nervous,' Corwin said. 'We're just playing with deck chairs on the Titanic.' Carrying on local heritage The ducks newly arrived to the farm are crucial to its revival. Fully grown and approaching breeding age, the cohort of white Pekin ducks were all that survived from the more than 15,000 eggs state officials allowed the farm to spare from the winter culling after they tested negative for bird flu. That means they and their progeny carry on the unique genetic makeup the farm has honed over generations of selective breeding to build its reputation. Established in 1908 by Corwin's great-grandfather, Crescent Duck Farms has been the island's lone commercial duck operation for the better part of a decade. But in the early 1960s, Long Island boasted more than 100 farms producing about two-thirds of the nation's duck output. 'I feel I owe it to the ancestors of farmers who've been here all these years and have come this far to just make a go of it,' Corwin said. 'I want to make Long Island proud.' ___ Follow Philip Marcelo at
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
People Are Sharing The Helpful Little Habits They Do To Help Out "Future Me," And Several Of These Are Lifesavers
If you're not in the habit of doing things to help out your future self, it can seem overwhelming figuring out where to start. Recently, people on Reddit shared the simple habits they've picked up that their future selves are going to love, and it's full of great ideas! Here are some of the top comments: 1."I always clean my apartment on Thursday, so when I come home from work on Friday evening, I can immediately start to relax and enjoy the weekend in a nice and tidy home." —floppyoyster "I like to clean up my house before going to sleep. I call it 'closing shift.' I'll set my clothes out and get the next day prepared that way." —Cherokeerayne 2."I take about ten minutes in the morning to prep as much as I can for dinner. It makes it soooo much easier at night when I'm beat and keeps me from ordering out." —Unlikely-Stage2224 3."Doing dishes right after eating. Future me always thanks past me for a clean sink." —Fair_Signal3827 "I unload the dishwasher before I cook and load stuff as I go. That way, all I have to do is put the last plates in there and any leftover cookware and hit go." —almostdonestudent "I do this as I meal prep. Then all the week's meals are made, and the kitchen is clean. Future me appreciates it." —fostermonster555 4."I write everything down right away so future me isn't stuck trying to remember what past me forgot." —yummiibabe 5."Getting my clothes ready the night before for the next morning, in case I'm running late." —Adventurous_Task_961 "I prepare most of my work backpack the previous evening — water bottle, laptop, wallet. Also, the clothes/shoes I'm going to wear. So next morning I get dressed easily, pick up bike and backpack, and am out the door 5 minutes after my bathroom routine." —magicmulder 6."Make a game out of taking my meds so I actually remember if I've taken them or not. It's nothing regular, just things I make up in the moment, like stacking them up, sorting by size, throwing them up and catching them in my mouth. If I forget to take them, it ruins my day. If I accidentally take them twice, it ruins the day even more." —Material_Ad9848 7."Going to the gym. Mobility exercises. I'm in my mid-30s and I don't wanna suffer in my 40s and beyond." —HappyOrca2020 "Coming from someone who recently entered his 40s and exercised consistently in those mid-30s: good strategy. Not only do I generally feel better than many of my peers seem to feel, but I have become addicted to the exercise and now enjoy it. My only complaint is that I wrecked hard skiing and had to get a rotator cuff repair, so I'm stuck twiddling my thumbs at home for a summer." —UnprovenMortality 8."Every spring I take $20 and put it in my big jacket and forget about it, so I get a nice surprise in October." —TunaMeltEnjoyer Related: "This Has Taken Me Years And Years And YEARS To Figure Out": This Woman's Clever Way To Tell If Someone Is Your Real Friend Is Being Called The Most Accurate Thing Ever 9."Therapy. I'm dealing with my shit at 33 so hopefully 40-year-old me can not be so terrified that hurting his children will be as easy at it was for his parents to hurt him and he can start a family. I want to start a family... I'm just too afraid that I will end up being the same kind of father mine was. I'm doing the work now so that neither future me nor my future children have to suffer." —iskandar- 10."I load up the coffee maker at night so that half-awake me just has to push the 'start' button in the morning to get it going. I used the timer function of my coffee maker for a few days, but after hitting snooze an inconsistent number of times, I've discovered that it's easier not to set the timer." —MGMan-01 11."When I save a file, I give it a ridiculously specific name, like '2025-06-16_MarketingReport_Q2_Final_ForReview.docx.' It takes an extra 5 seconds, but it saves 'Future Me' from 20 minutes of panicked searching and opening a dozen files named 'Report_final_v2_real_final.docx.'" —zhangsihai 12."Sleeping early so that I don't wake up grumpy." —crazylunaticfringe "Just let Grumpy sleep in." —golfdk 13."Flossing my teeth." —chasington "THIS. I read about a year ago about how flossing at least once or twice a week can lower the chance of having a stroke later on, and it's become part of my regular routine since." —Dangerous_Panda5255 Related: 25 Eye-Opening Confessions From A Trauma Therapist That Changed The Way I Think About Mental Health 14."I always keep extras of certain things on hand that I don't want to run out of. Washing up liquid, toilet paper, soap, hand soap, shampoo, that sort of thing. It makes me feel safer knowing that the moment I finish one, there is another waiting for me." —zeprfrew 15."I'm a nurse. I've been wearing compression socks since I graduated, so I won't need varicose vein surgery at 40. Legs are looking great 10 years in!" —frannieees 16."I make my bed every morning. Future me walks into a tidy room and feels slightly less chaotic." —Madeleine2023 "i always say making the bed sets the tone for the day. I try to make it every day, so I know the day is gonna be tidy and productive. It's a good mental trick, and it's nice to have a freshly made bed when I'm ready to knock out at night." —Talmadge_Mcgooliger 17."Sunscreen on my face so I don't age quickly." —TheOnePoseidon "The last time I got badly sunburned was at a football game in 2016. It was cold out that morning, so I didn't think of putting on sunscreen, and my face was burnt to a crisp. I had to take a day off work so as not to scare everybody with how bad it looked. From that day onward, I always use sunscreen if I am going to be outside, even if it's cool out, even if there are clouds." —RVelts 18."I have a general rule that if I can do something now, I do it now so I don't forget to do it later. Because I absolutely will forget to do that later." —bigloser42 19."Started reading books. I wanted to improve my vocabulary and become an eloquent speaker (English is my second language)." —Appropriate_Fee867 20."I maintain cleaning schedules for major parts of my house. I sweep/vacuum my floors once a week, vacuum my stairs twice a month, and I clean my kitchen as I cook my meals. I kept the cleaning habits going since I got my house almost two years ago. Just keeping up with tidying up takes a few minutes out of my day, keeps my house clean, and saves future me from dealing with a mess when I come home from a long day at work." —robo-dragon 21."Not drinking alcohol." —Ill_Donut555 "Cannot believe the difference this has made for my health, energy, appearance, mood, organization, punctuality, and more. 10/10 recommend, even if it's the hardest thing you've ever done." —bebe_inferno 22."Sit with discomfort and take the time to genuinely process not-fun feelings." —lanais_ "This is so important, and too many people don't do it." —RainierCherree 23."Before every vacation/trip, I make sure I wash my laundry and bedding and tidy around the house so when I come home, I have a fresh bed to sleep in, clean clothes, and a tidy apartment. It feels like someone else cleaned my home for me, lol." —Spiritual-Promise402 24."Putting $20 in an envelope for each kid every week so we always have money for holiday gifts. Even if money is tight, those envelopes are untouchable." —MaxMcLarenTBSL 25."Pack my lunch. I'm not sure how the math works out, but 10 minutes at night saves me 20 minutes in the morning." —chickentender777 26."Wait to make any purchase for 14 days, to consider if I truly need it, to see if I still want it when the fancy wears off, to think on if I'll keep needing it or if I can borrow it somewhere, to look up if there's alternatives if I do need it which might be more affordable, and finally if I still want it then to purchase it for as little as possible. It has saved me a lot of money." —Saratje finally, "Try hard, do my best, and trust in present me's choices. As long as I can sleep well every night, knowing that I tried, even if it ends up failing." —radiantsteak1337 What's a habit you've picked up to help your future self? Share it with us in the comments or the anonymous form below: Also in Goodful: Therapists Are Revealing The Moments That Made Them Break Their "No Judgment" Rule, And I'm Honestly Speechless Also in Goodful: 19 "Garbage" Modern Trends People Refuse To Partake In Despite Their Popularity Also in Goodful: Medical Professionals Are Sharing "Mundane" Things That Actually Make So Many People Sick
CBS News
an hour ago
- CBS News
AHN Wexford is one of the nation's quietest hospitals at night, surveys say
Allegheny Health Network's AHN Wexford Hospital has received high marks as one of the nation's quietest hospitals at night for the fourth consecutive year, according to new patient surveys that were compiled by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Data snapshots are released periodically throughout the year. A star rating is then assigned to hospitals for varying patient experience categories, per a news release from Allegheny Health Network. Patients who had spent the night in the hospital were asked whether "the area around their room was always quiet at night." Data from a recently released snapshot indicated that 72% of respondents answered "yes" to the question, besting the national average (62%) and the Pennsylvania average (56%). An additional 24% said the environment was "usually" quiet. In the winter 2025 snapshot, Wexford's "always quiet" number was even higher, at 74%. That was good for the highest-possible five-star "quietness rating" from the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. "Nighttime noise affects patient satisfaction and, more importantly, disrupts sleep and recovery," said Lisa Graper, chief nursing officer at AHN Wexford. "Noise reduction begins with staff training and evidence-based interventions, but it also includes elements of hospital design, such as all-private rooms and soft-closing drawers." "At AHN Wexford, we pride ourselves on providing exceptional medicine and an exceptional patient experience," said Allan Klapper, MD, president, AHN Wexford. "That experience takes many forms, but keeping the volume down at night is especially important to us. Study after study shows that a quiet hospital environment can improve patient healing and well-being, which reduces stress and can even lead to shorter hospital stays." AHN Wexford also earned five stars in the areas of cleanliness, nurse communication, and the patient's understanding of care instructions when they transition out of the hospital, the news release added.
