Does Age Affect the Amount of Exercise to Increase Your Heart Beat?

There is no denying that people tend to slow down a bit as they age. But lifestyle choices, including decreased physical activity, have a more profound effect on your health than the passage of time. No matter what your age, your cardiovascular system is vulnerable to dysfunction resulting from lack of exercise.

  1. Heart Rate and Exercise

    • When you exercise, your heart beats harder and faster to meet the oxygen demands in your muscles. If you have a healthy heart and get regular exercise, your heart beats more forcefully, and does not have to beat as many times per minute to pump oxygenated blood through your body. Regular exercise also makes your muscle cells more efficient at extracting and using oxygen. The combination of a stronger heart and better cellular metabolism means you will have a lower heart rate both at rest and during exercise. A physically active older adult with a healthy heart may have a lower heart rate than an unhealthy sedentary young person.

    Exercise and Aging

    • Exercise plays an important role in determining how well your heart performs as you age. An unhealthy and inactive heart will lose its strength and elasticity over time, and will have to beat more times per minute to compensate for its weakened condition. According to a review published by the American Heart Association, lifelong physical activity prevents the decline in cardiac function that is often associated with aging. The article goes on to say that inactivity may be the primarily cause of many disorders and pathologies that are often attributed to old age.

    Aging and Cardiac Function

    • Some of the changes in heart function commonly associated with aging include a decrease in maximal oxygen consumption, decreased contractility of the left ventricle, a decrease in maximal heart rate and a decline in the total volume of blood pumped per minute. However, a study of individuals with coronary artery disease published in the "Journal of the American College of Cardiology" found no correlation between age and markers for heart dysfunction in its subjects, indicating that physical activity may have more to do with heart health than age.

    Benefits of Exercise

    • The American College of Sports Medicine concurs that a regular exercise program is the best way to prevent or reduce the risk of heart disease and other health problems. Health benefits of exercise include reduced blood pressure, an improved blood lipid profile and improved body composition. Regular aerobic training will also reduce your risk of Type II diabetes and increase your bone mineral density. A lifelong commitment to a physically active lifestyle will improve your quality of life and lengthen your lifespan.