Dr. Ragavendra Baliga
Physical activity is proven to reduce the risk for many chronic conditions, including the No. 1 killer in the U.S., heart disease.
Still, many susceptible patients find it enormously challenging to find time for it in a busy day.
Dr. Ragavendra Baliga, professor of internal medicine at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, takes an approach of understanding and encouragement towards his patients.
“Changing behavior is a challenge,” Baliga says. “It requires extensive commitment to change your lifestyle.”
He suggests working up to 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity at least five days per week, as recommended by the American Heart Association. This 150 minutes of exercise per week can be approached in a variety of ways, he says, breaking it up into two or three segments of 15 minutes each.
“Not overdoing it will be better for your health in the long run,” he says.
Alternatively, 25 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity three days a week, for a total of 75 minutes, can be just as effective in lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, Baliga says.
Sarah Davis is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
