Taking more exercise not only makes you look and feel better but it can also help to keep your heart healthy. Even a short burst of activity, like running around your lounge or climbing the stairs can get your heart pumping and help boost circulation and with regular exercise you’ll start to notice the difference within a matter of weeks.

In addition to helping to control blood pressure, blood sugar levels and cholesterol, exercise can also help you lose weight.

Your heart is a muscle and like other muscles, it will get bigger and stronger through physical activity - particularly cardiovascular exercise, like walking, swimming and dancing - which works the heart and lungs. The stronger and bigger your heart is, the slower it has to work to pump blood efficiently around your body. This places less stress on your heart, leading to a healthier and more relaxed cardiovascular system.

Physical activity also gives you more energy and can help reduce stress. You don't have to join a gym or a special exercise class, it’s easy to become more active simply by working more activity into your everyday life.

Experts recommend that we should be aiming to be moderately active for 30 minutes a day, at least five days a week.