Common Exercise Mistake CLOGS Arteries
By
Dr. Scott Olson, ND
Posted February 1, 2023
Dear Living Well Daily Reader,
Longtime readers will know I encourage everyone to get out and move their buns a bit.
Exercise is one of the BEST tools we have to keep the grim reaper from knocking at the door!
But as I’m out running and walking in my neighborhood this time of year I notice one HUGE mistake that people trying to carry out their New Year’s resolutions make.
They’re trying too hard.
And I have the research to prove it.
If I could bottle the benefits of exercise and hand you a pill to take I’d be the richest man in the world. Elon, Jeff, Bill, and Warren would have puny piles of money compared to mine.
Exercise benefits your heart, brain, lungs, muscles, digestive system, and even your skin.
But the benefits don’t even end there. Studies show exercise ALSO controls blood sugar, reduces blood pressure, improves sleep, boosts mood, and fires up your sex life.
Who WOULDN’T want a pill that does ALL that?
But since we don’t have one of those yet it’s no wonder that folks strap on those athletic shoes and hit the road in January in pursuit of a healthier and happier path.
But this is a case where more is NOT better.
In fact, a recent study published in the journal Circulation found a STRONG link between how hard someone works out and coronary atherosclerosis (clogged heart arteries). But it’s in the opposite way you might expect.
The study focused on a group of middle aged and older men. And the researchers found that the guys who exercised the hardest (what they called “very vigorous”) were much more likely to have clogged arteries.
That might surprise a lot of folks.
But the truth is vigorous exercising goes against almost everything exercise science has been saying in the last few years.
Professional and semi-professional athletes, for the most part, train slowly. For example, when a pro runner goes out for a long run these days most will work hard to keep their heart rate LOW.
This kind of “slow and steady” training reduces stress and injury and increases metabolic factors.
It can be hard to quiet your inner drill sergeant that tells you to push harder. But it’s time to take a page out of the professional’s handbook.
You don’t need to be afraid of a good workout or getting more intense from time to time. But overall, it’s a good idea to embrace the slower and steadier way of exercising. It reduces your risk of injury. Plus, it keeps you in fat-burning mode longer.
P.S. Every time you strap on your walking shoes and head out the door, you boost your brain power, help your heart, improve your blood sugar, and give your mood a HUGE boost. And now researchers have discovered that THIS mineral can AMPLIFY your exercise efforts even more.
Source:
“Exercise Volume Versus Intensity and the Progression of Coronary Atherosclerosis in Middle-Aged and Older Athletes: Findings From the MARC-2 Study,” Circulation. 2023;0, Originally published4 Jan 2023, https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.122.061173
Written By Dr. Scott Olson, ND
Nearly 25 years ago, failed mainstream medical treatments left Dr. Olson in constant pain – and his health in ruins. And that’s when he did something REVOLUTIONARY. He began his career in medicine – and dedicated his life to uncovering the true, underlying causes of disease.
Through his innovative medical practices in Tennessee and Colorado, Dr. Olson has helped cure countless seniors from across America of arthritis… heart disease… diabetes… and even cancer. All without risky prescription drugs or painful surgeries.
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