According to cardiology specialist Godwin Leung Tat-chi, heart disease is the second-biggest killer in Hong Kong (cancer is the biggest), with about 5,000 people dying from it each year.
He says one of the causes of heart disease is a sedentary lifestyle.
Regular physical activity can improve the way you look, feel and work. Studies show that it helps reduce the risk of heart disease. It also helps control high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity and diabetes, Leung says.
Regular physical activity has been shown to be effective in reducing the risk of developing hypertension (high blood pressure) by up to 30 per cent, and is advocated as a preventive measure.
Regular exercise can keep blood vessels free from narrowing, which is the main cause of heart attack.
'Although the heart is a pump made of muscles, it can't be exercised directly,' he says. 'It can only be exercised through the larger muscle groups, particularly the leg muscles. That's why brisk walking, running, cycling, swimming and jogging are so beneficial.'