We are frequently told that exercise is good for us. It reduces the risk of a range of diseases, such as heart disease and stroke.

What is often not clear is why it is good for us. How exactly does exercise help?

Here is one way that researchers have found that exercise helps with cardiovascular disease.

When you exercise blood is pumped more vigorously through your arteries. This means that the blood is moving with a greater force. This has several results. For instance, when an artery is starting to close up there is more likelihood that white blood cells, which are a bit sticky, will stick to the walls and then start to build up on the walls. The greater force will make them less likely to build up on artery walls.

In arteries, that are becoming blocked, there are areas where clots will start to form. Greater force will dislodge these clots before they get big. This, itself, stops the artery from becoming narrower and could perhaps, due to small clots being in the blood system, reduce the risk of a clot blocking any major arteries in the heart, brain, lungs etc.

Plus, there is recent evidence that increasing flow in arteries also triggers an enzyme signaling system in blood vessel walls that when activated is protective against atherosclerosis (hardening and narrowing of arteries) and possibly decreases inflammation in arteries. In atherosclerosis, local inflammatory responses in the artery are one of the major contributors to the thickening of the artery wall. The signaling systems seem to both reduce the local inflammation and also signal the artery wall to expand outwards making the inside of the artery wider.

So, when you get your heart rate up, using the stairs instead of the elevator, think about how you are helping to keep your arteries wide and free of blockages. Hope this helps.

photo credit: Unlisted Sightings