A new study shows not only does regular exercise help to prevent a heart attack, it can also drastically increase your odds of survival if you do have a heart attack, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
They study, published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, shows people who engage in moderate regular exercise were half as likely to die when they had a heart attack compared with people who were 'sedentary.'
Heart surgeon Dr. Jorge Magallon, who practices at San Antonio's Southwest General Hospital, sees this all the time.He says regular exercise strengthens the secondary blood vessels in the heart, so when a major artery is blocked, they are strong enough to take over that role, acting as a sort of 'safety net.'
"You're inducing the collateral network of small vessels to become a little more robust, a little bigger, and that establishes somewhat of a safety net," he said
.Dr. Magallon says more good news is, you don't have to be a ripped 'muscle man' or 'muscle woman' gym rate to get this benefit. He says thirty minutes of moderate exercise on a regular basis, like walking or bike riding, will do the trick.
"If, when you have a heart attack, your heart attack won't be as big, and your chances of survival will be much greater than that person who is not doing any exercise whatsoever," he said.
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