Study: Exercise can reverse heart damage in middle-aged adults

Aerobic exercise may reverse heart effects in middle-age adults, according to a recent study.

Hitting the gym for a cardio workout four to five times a week over a two-year period reduced reversed issues such as heart stiffness, which can lead to increased complications, in middle-age adults according to the study published in the American Heart Association’s journal Circulation .

“We used to think that if you don’t start exercise when you’re in your 20s or 30s that it’s too late,” said Del Sol Medical Center Cardiologist Oscar Munoz.

Fifty-three adults between the ages of 45 and 64 were tested in the study. They completed moderate to high-intensity cardio workouts including walking, running, cycling and swimming.

Doctors said sitting or reclining too long can increase the risk of your heart shrinking, and stiffening for late middle-age people.

Dr. Munoz said exercising should be apart of your daily routine, just like brushing your teeth.

“If you combine exercise with a good diet, and you don’t smoke, you’re going to live longer for sure,” said Munoz.