Even if you’re well above your ideal weight, burning off about 1,000 calories a week helps improve your cardiovascular health and reduces your risk of heart disease.
Batting 1,000 — At Least
After a decade-long study, researchers have found that burning about 1,000 calories a week through exercise was enough to significantly lower the risk of coronary heart disease in women who are obese. It didn’t totally erase their risk, but study participants were far better off than obese women who got little or no exercise.
Exercise, in any shape or form, is proven medicine for your heart — lowering blood pressure, improving blood vessel function, and possibly inhibiting certain types of blood-clot-encouraging chemicals released by fat cells.
How to Make the Mark
So what does it take to shed an extra 1,000 calories a week? Depends on your size and how hard you work out. You could burn anywhere from 125 to 200-plus calories with 30 minutes of walking — so you’d need to hit the pavement several times each week. No matter how big or small your New Year’s fitness goal is, RealAge can help you stay on track.
Brick ONeil 