Heart disease impacts hundreds of thousands of Americans each year. People in fields like architecture, engineering, or construction often work long, mentally or physically strenuous shifts. Due to high stress levels, building professionals are already at a heightened risk for cardiovascular complications. Regular exercise is a simple way to prevent heart disease. By incorporating strength training and cardio exercise in your routine and scheduling the time to make it consistent, you’ll be well on your way to effective cardiovascular disease prevention. 

Quick look

• The most significant contributors to heart disease for construction workers include obesity, tobacco, diabetes, and lack of exercise. 
• Cardiorespiratory testing allows doctors to quantitatively measure the body’s ability to send oxygen to skeletal muscles, making it a good indicator of heart and respiratory health. 
• Cardio exercise and strength training are essential for optimal heart health. 
• Getting started with exercise is as simple as blocking your calendar, prioritizing your morning time, and committing to more activity with a friend or partner. 

The reality of heart disease in construction

Heart disease is well known as being the number one cause of death in the United States. Each year, nearly 400,000 people die from cardiac arrest alone, and strokes are the number 5 most prevalent cause of death among Americans. Most cardiac arrests occur outside of hospitals. Roughly 1 in 5 heart attacks occur in our day-to-day lives, like at work or on the job site. 

The statistics among construction workers aren’t much better—roughly 1 in 25 workers, approximately 211,000 people, have been diagnosed with some severity of cardiovascular disease. That’s enough people to fill a large city, and the heart disease rates only continue to worsen. 

The big contributors

While genetic and environmental conditions could play a factor in a construction worker’s risk of heart disease, some major contributors are preventable. Here are the four most prominent contributors to heart disease. 

• Obesity: Workers are classified as “obese” when their Body Mass Index (BMI) is 30 or greater. Stats show that 1 in 4 construction workers are considered obese. A combination of lack of exercise, stress, and poor diet typically cause this. 
• Tobacco use: 1 in 4 construction workers are also tobacco users. Tobacco, whether in the form of a cigarette, patch, vape, or dipping tobacco, is the leading preventable cause of death in the U.S. and dramatically impacts your heart health.
• Diabetes: 1 in 25 construction workers also has type 2 diabetes. Diabetes increases a person’s risk of cardiovascular attacks and diseases. 
• Lack of exercise: Nearly half of all construction workers fail to get enough exercise. Lack of regular physical activity is a key factor in stroke and heart attack. 

Regular exercise can prevent heart attacks and strokes, but it also has a wide range of other benefits and protects the heart long-term. Let’s take a closer look at how it works. 

Exercise as medicine

Exercise is arguably the most valuable medicine you can give the body to prevent and combat heart disease. Extensive research echos this, with one study showing that people who completed 150 to 300 minutes of moderate exercise per week or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous exercise per week are likelier to live longer than those who don’t. Another 2018 study found frequent exercise lowers blood pressure, creates a more favorable plasma lipoprotein profile, and boosts insulin sensitivity, increasing cardiovascular health. 

Countless studies confirm that routine exercise promotes heart health and lessens the risk of heart disease. Yet another study proves that just one or two sessions of exercise per week were all that was necessary to reduce the risk of death from heart disease by 40% compared to inactive adults. 

How cardiorespiratory fitness supports heart health

Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is your respiratory and circulatory system’s ability to send oxygen to your skeletal muscles during prolonged physical activity. Researchers and scientists use CRF to determine your cardiovascular and respiratory functional capacity. Functions include perfusion, gas exchange, ventilation, vasodilation, and oxygen delivery to your tissues. Because these functions are vital to your survival, CRF allows for a quantitative measure of your mortality risk as a function of cardiorespiratory health. 

Regular physical activity and exercise can boost and improve your CRF over time and decrease your risk of heart disease and other cardiovascular conditions. 

What’s the best kind of exercise for improving heart health?

When it comes to the type of exercise you should aim for, anything is better than no activity at all. But if you’re looking to make more of an impact, opt for these. 

Cardio

Aerobic exercise is highly beneficial for your heart. Cardio leads to a decrease in your resting blood pressure and heart rate, which means your heart doesn’t have to work so hard to pump blood through your body. A regular cardio routine also promotes good cholesterol levels while decreasing blood fats.

Cardio, as research suggests, could also increase longevity. Cardio exercise includes walking, running, biking, swimming, and rowing. It doesn’t have to be high-intensity to affect your heart health positively; it just has to be consistent.

Grip strength

Grip strength is an underrated exercise that tests how hard you can grip things with your hands. It involves almost all muscles of your upper body, from your hands to your lats. Increased muscle strength, including grip strength, has long been associated with better heart health in large longitudinal population studies. According to one study, the force of your grip strength has also been associated with longevity.

To improve your grip strength, you can train with heavy dumbbells, a weightlifting bar, and heavy things you have around the house. You can also start slowly by picking up heavy things like books or weights and walking with them gripped alongside your body until you feel fatigued—this is called a farmer’s carry. Repeat for a few reps, and slowly increase the weight as you get stronger.  

Strength and resistance training

Many people think cardio workouts are the best for improving cardiovascular health, but strength training, as research suggests, is also important. A recent study from the American Heart Association finds significant heart health benefits from strength and resistance training. Strength-based exercises can improve your blood sugar, blood pressure, blood lipids, and body composition. It’s particularly impactful for older adults and people with a higher risk of cardiovascular problems. 

Ultimately, it’s a good idea to switch up your exercise regimen and implement cardiovascular exercises and strength training. This combination offers the best protection against early death and from heart-related deaths in particular. 

How to get started

For a lot of people in the trades, exercise isn’t a top priority—especially after a 12-hour shift on your feet. Getting started might be tricky, but the more you adapt and the more fit you get, the more you’ll crave regular exercise. It could also help you improve your mental health and your work performance. Here are a few ways you can get started.

• Start early: Getting up a half hour earlier to exercise might seem like a pain but then it’s over and done with. Plus, exercise boosts endorphins, which could improve your mood and energy levels, setting you up to successfully tackle your day. 
• Schedule your workouts: If your workout is in your calendar, you’re more likely to do it. This way, you can plan other things around it. 
• Choose something you enjoy: Exercise can be enjoyable—if you choose an activity you genuinely enjoy. For some people, lifting heavy is exhilarating and a challenge. For other, walking or swimming bring them the most joy. If you enjoy doing an activity, it’s more likely to stick. 
• Bring a friend: Having a buddy to workout with keeps your accountable. Plus, it’s harder to cancel when you’re in it together. 
• Do a trial: Whether you plan to join a gym or purchase an online training program, most offer a free trial so you can test before you buy. YouTube also offers an extensive collection of free workout videos. 
• Make conscious choices: Make more active choices to exercise throughout the day. Take the stairs, walk part of your commute, stretch your body on your lunch break, and squat to grab things from the floor. 

Not every tip is well-suited for everyone, so choose some that appeal to you to have the easiest time getting started. 

Bottom line

Your cardiovascular health is essential, so embrace regular exercise to prevent and combat heart disease. To protect yourself best, try incorporating a mix of cardio, grip strength, and strength and resistance training. 

Obesity, tobacco use, and diabetes are also significant contributors to heart disease, but roughly half of all construction workers fail to get enough regular exercise. It doesn’t have to be overly strenuous, but by scheduling exercise into your day, working out in the morning, or committing with a friend, you’ll be well on your way to heart disease prevention and a longer career in the trades. 

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