Exercising your way to a Healthy Heart

Authored by: Dr Matthew Lee; BMSc, MBBS, MSc

Last reviewed: July 2025.

What's in this PocDoc Article:

• Understanding Cardiovascular Disease: What You Need to Know
• What Puts You at Risk of Cardiovascular Disease?
• The UK’s Growing Inactivity Problem
• How Physical Inactivity Increases CVD Risk
• Regular Physical Activity Can Prevent Cardiovascular Disease
• Which exercise is best for heart health?
• Other Benefits of Physical Activity Beyond CVD Prevention

Exercising your way to a Healthy Heart

Despite decades of progress in cardiovascular care and prevention, cardiovascular disease is still one of the biggest killers of people in the UK. Since the start of the 2020s, cardiovascular disease (CVD) cases have risen significantly, prompting the British Heart Foundation to label the 2020s as the “worst start to a decade for heart health for 50 years”. CVD remains one of the UK’s leading causes of death, affecting over 7.6 million individuals, and since 2019, deaths from CVD among working-age adults have increased by 18%. This concerning trend underscores the urgent need for more effective prevention strategies.

Whilst the trend for increasing CVD prevalence is worrying, an estimated 80% of cardiovascular disease is entirely preventable by making positive lifestyle changes and taking lipid-lowering therapies.

Whilst heart health checks remain essential for early detection, long-term protection starts with everyday habits. Among these, regular physical activity stands out as one of the most powerful and accessible tools for reducing cardiovascular risk. Evidence shows that exercise can lower your risk of heart and circulatory diseases by up to 35%.

In this article, we break down the science behind how physical activity protects your heart, the types of exercise that are most beneficial, and why even small changes can make a big difference to your long-term cardiovascular health.

Understanding Cardiovascular Disease: What You Need to Know

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is an umbrella term for conditions that affect the heart or blood vessels. These include coronary artery disease, heart failure, stroke, and aortic disease. All of these conditions have serious, life-threatening consequences, which account for a quarter of all deaths annually in the UK.

The economic burden of cardiovascular disease is also significant, as it is estimated to cost the NHS up to £15.8 billion annually. To learn more about cardiovascular disease, read our Guide to Cardiovascular Disease.

What Puts You at Risk of Cardiovascular Disease?

There are various factors that can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease, including:

• High Cholesterol: Too much cholesterol in your blood can lead to fatty deposits in your arteries, narrowing them and increasing the risk of clots, heart attacks, or stroke

• Type 2 Diabetes: Persistently high blood sugar can damage blood vessels over time, raising your risk of CVD.

• Being overweight or obese: Excess body weight is linked to higher blood pressure and insulin resistance, both of which are major contributors to heart disease.

• Physical Inactivity: A sedentary lifestyle can lead to high blood pressure, poor cholesterol balance, and weight gain, all of which raise cardiovascular risk.

To learn more about cardiovascular disease risk factors, read our Guide to Cardiovascular Disease.

The UK’s Growing Inactivity Problem

Physical inactivity is now alarmingly widespread in the UK, with an estimated 20 million adults failing to meet national guidelines for exercise.

The research shows that:

• 1 in 4 people in England do less than 30 minutes of physical activity per week
• 1 in 6 deaths are caused by physical inactivity
• Physical inactivity costs the UK an estimated £7.4 billion each year.
• This widespread inactivity isn’t just a health statistic but a wake-up call with real consequences for your heart health.

How Physical Inactivity Increases CVD Risk

Physical inactivity can contribute to the development of:

• High blood pressure 
• High cholesterol levels 
• Being overweight/obese
• Type 2 diabetes

These are all key risk factors for cardiovascular disease, with studies showing that physical inactivity contributes to 1 in 10 premature deaths from coronary heart disease and one in six deaths from any cause.

Even in people who appear healthy or have a normal weight, inactivity can quietly accelerate the build-up of fatty deposits in the arteries (a process called atherosclerosis). If these arteries become narrowed or blocked, it can result in a heart attack or stroke, depending on which part of the body is affected.

Incorporating regular physical activity in your routine can significantly help lower your risk of cardiovascular disease.

Regular Physical Activity Can Prevent Cardiovascular Disease

Previously in our blog, “Control your weight to protect your heart health”, we discussed the benefits of physical activity for weight loss. However, its benefits extend far beyond weight control and can positively impact your heart health.

Studies have shown that regular physical activity reduces the risk of CVD by up to 35%. Exercise can further help to:

• Lower blood pressure: Physical activity improves blood vessel function by increasing the body’s ability to pump more blood with less effort.

• Improve your cholesterol profile: Exercise raises levels of HDL cholesterol (the “good” cholesterol) and lowers non-HDL cholesterol (which includes LDL and other harmful lipoproteins), helping to reduce plaque formation in the arteries.

• Supports healthy blood sugar levels: Exercise regulates insulin sensitivity and glucose uptake by muscles, reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes, a major CVD risk factor.

• Promotes better vascular function: Regular physical activity improves how well your blood vessels respond to changes in blood flow, reduces arterial stiffness, and enhances blood circulation.

• Supports long-term weight management: When combined with a balanced diet, physical activity helps prevent obesity, one of the most significant modifiable risk factors for heart disease.

The key takeaway? Physical activity, no matter how small, is beneficial for cardiovascular disease prevention. The NHS highlights that even small increases in physical activity, such as brisk walking for 10 minutes a day, can help to reduce your risk of CVD.

Which exercise is best for heart health?

Different types of exercise benefit your heart in unique ways. Below, we break down which activities are most effective:

1. Aerobic Exercise: 

• Aerobic exercise, also known as cardio, is one of the most effective ways to improve cardiovascular health. It lowers resting blood pressure and heart rate, boosts circulation, and improves cholesterol profiles.

• The NHS recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity, and strength exercises on 2 or more days a week.

• Examples of aerobic exercise include walking, cycling, swimming and even housework and gardening.

• If you have been diagnosed with a heart condition, it is important to consult with your GP to determine the level of intensity for your workouts in order to exercise safely.

2. Resistance Training:

• Strength training or resistance training involves training with weights, resistance bands or your own body weight to make your muscles work harder. The stronger your muscles, the better you will be able to do aerobic exercise and everyday tasks.

• Examples of strength training exercises include lifting weights, resistance band workouts or body weight workouts such as squats or wall press-ups. It is recommended to do strength training 2-3 times per week.

3. Flexibility and Balance Exercises:

• These activities will improve your overall mobility and reduce your risk of injury. Flexibility exercises prevent you muscles from becoming too tight while balance helps to reduce the risk of falls. 

• It is recommended to do flexibility and balance training 2 to 3 days per week, especially when your muscles are already warmed up, such as after completing an aerobic exercise.

• These exercises include yoga, tai chi and Pilates, all of which have also been shown to reduce stress, a lesser-known contributor to cardiovascular risk.

Other Benefits of Physical Activity Beyond CVD Prevention

Recent reports have shown that regular physical activity can help to stop cancer form returning after treatment. The results showed that patients who had a structured exercise routine with the help of a personal trainer had a 37% lower risk of death and a 28% lower risk of the cancer recurring or new cancers developing, compared to patients who only had health advice.

In addition to reducing CVD risk, exercise can reduce your risk of:

• Colon cancer by up to 20%
• Breast cancer by up to 20%
• Type 2 Diabetes by up to 40%
• Depression by up to 30%
• Hip fractures by up to 68%
• Dementia by up to 30%  
• All-cause mortality by up to 30%

PocDoc’s Healthy Heart Check & Your Heart Health

In addition to exercise, the PocDoc Healthy Heart Check offers you an all-in-one solution to keep track of your BMI and your risk of cardiovascular disease.

In under 10 minutes, you’ll receive:

• Your body mass index score.

• Your full cholesterol profile.

• Your 10-year risk of a heart attack or stroke.

• Your estimated healthy heart age.