Maintaining Heart Health as We Age

Natural variations in the heart rate are an important measure of
health -- not only of the heart, but of the entire body. If this
"heart rate variability" (HRV) is low, it's an indication that your
autonomic nervous system isn't functioning properly. And that's not
a good sign, considering that this system is responsible for
maintaining balance and control of nearly 90% of the body's
functions.

HRV is generally lower in the elderly population, but maintaining
healthy variations in our heart rate can help prevent heart attacks
and other cardiac problems. A study in Medicine & Science in Sports
& Exercise found that regular physical activity was effective in
increasing HRV -- slightly over 24-hour periods, and moderately
during the daytime.

The 51 elderly subjects (average age: 67 years) were divided into
a non-exercising control group or an exercise group that trained
three times a week for six months; each 45-minute training session
consisted of jogging/walking, stretching, and various aerobic
exercises. After six months, heart rate variations were higher in
the exercise group compared with the group that did not exercise.

If you're not sure about how healthy your heart is, or if you'd
like more information on how to maintain a healthy heart and a
healthy body as you get older, talk to your doctor of chiropractic.

Schuit AJ, Van Amelsvoort LG, Verheij TC, et al. Exercise training
and heart rate variability in older people. Medicine & Science in
Sports & Exercise, June 1999: Vol. 31, No. 6, pp816-821.