In the Stanford University study, 30 percent of nearly 1,400 patients who came in for an X-ray of their cardiac arteries reported being sedentary with no lifetime recreational activity. Subsequent findings published online in the Journal of Vascular Surgery reveal that these individuals were nearly twice as likely to have clogged vessels in their legs as those who reported the most active lives.

More activity was more protective, but even light exercise, such as an evening stroll, was enough to protect the heart—and the legs—from problems later on, said Dr. John Cooke and his group.

So, get up and get moving! Walk, bike, or hike on local nature trails, in your neighborhood, or at the mall. Join a bocce or bowling league. Do some raking and weeding on nice days or offer to do yard work for others.

“Just get moving,” urges Dr. Tyler Cooper, CEO of Cooper Aerobics Enterprises in the July 2010 Post article “Get Out, Get Fit.” “Being active most days of the week in some form or fashion will really pay dividends in the long run.”

Tell us about your active lifestyle in the comments section below!

Exercise to Prevent Clogged Leg Arteries The Saturday Evening Post

It is important to keep your cholesterol under control. There are drugs other than Lipitor (atorvastatin) that could be tried if your lipids are elevated. The presence of PAD is easily evaluated with a noninvasive Doppler flow probe placed over the artery. Check with your cardiologist if you are concerned. Usually, patients are symptomatic before we intervene with stents or surgery depending on the particular problem. Elevated lipids contribute to the development of PAD, so be sure to keep your cholesterol low.

Peripheral Artery Disease The Saturday Evening Post

Mechanical heart valves usually last the life of the patient, while tissue valves last an average of five to fifteen years, with the shorter span occurring in younger patients. You don’t say which kind you have, but regardless, at your age and barring complications, you should not need a valve replacement. The pain in your legs may be caused by peripheral vascular disease, a process of plaque buildup that also may have occurred in your coronary arteries, and which is now obstructing blood flow to the muscles in your legs. A treadmill stress test is used to uncover blockages in arteries supplying the heart with blood. Walking up an incline can stress the muscles in the legs. The exercising muscles need more blood, and if there are obstructions preventing this increase, they become ischemic (starved of blood) and cause pain. This problem should be evaluated by your doctor.

It is difficult for me to prescribe how much exercise to do without knowing more about your condition. Generally I tell my patients to “listen to your body.” When your body “talks to you” in the form of pain, abnormal shortness of breath, or other symptoms, stop or slow down what you are doing. Exercise within those limits is usually okay.

Heart Valves, Leg Pain, and Exercise The Saturday Evening Post