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How much exercise do you need to fight heart disease? Do you need an hour breaking a sweat at the gym? Half an hour of gardening? Or a brisk 15-minute walk around the block?

Truth is, any one, or a mix of these, done on a regular basis, will do! While it has been well known that exercise is important in keeping your heart healthy, there has been debate as to just how much is beneficial. According to the American Heart Association, several short sessions of exercise may help as much as a single long workout - as long as the total amount of exercise is the same.

Make every 15 minutes count
You don't need to be an Olympic athlete to reap the benefits of exercise.

You can reduce your risk of heart disease with regular vigorous exercise, such as running, jogging, swimming laps, tennis or aerobics. But you can also reduce it with regular moderate activities, such as walking, yard work, golf or social dancing.

Before you start any exercise program, though, check with your doctor.

Exercise helps increase the HDL cholesterol (the "good" cholesterol) in the blood. Higher HDL cholesterol lowers risk of coronary heart disease. Exercise can also help drop the LDL cholesterol (the "bad" cholesterol). LDL is the type of cholesterol that builds up along the artery lining and leads to heart disease.

Shorter workouts provide more incentive
Evidence that short sessions of exercise help the heart is good news for those who haven't been exercising. If you are just starting, you can start off slowly by breaking your exercise into smaller time segments and still get the benefit. This is better than trying to be too ambitious the first time out, which can often lead to a sore back or sore muscles and prompt you to stop doing everything.

Short sessions of exercise are often easier to fit into a busy schedule. If you exercise for 10 minutes three times a day, or 15 minutes two times a day, you're still getting in a half hour of exercise, which is beneficial.

What kind of exercise?
Aerobic exercise is best for the heart. It makes the heart become stronger and work more efficiently. You can get an aerobic workout from numerous activities, such as:

• Biking
• Jogging
• Running
• Swimming
• Brisk walking
• Dancing

Of course, you can also get aerobic exercise in aerobic classes or by using exercise machines at the gym - stationary bikes, treadmills, stair-steppers or rowing machines.

Whether you choose to do one of these activities or something moderate such as walking, yard work, golf or a mix of all of these, the important thing is to just do it.

Source: Haskell WL, Lee IM, Pate RR, et al. Physical activity and public health: updated recommendation for adults from the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2007;116: 1081-1093.

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