http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Wellness/video/exercise-heart-younger-study-finds-53842926

Want a healthier heart for you middle aged folks? Cardio!!

You don't want a stiff heart. You want it flexible!!

I'm trying. Have a bit of a heart issue. Cycled 86 miles last week.

This is my cycle. Have had it for 2 weeks now. Riding all but 2 days becasue I was travelling.

Burning anywhere from 600-900 calories every morning on 45 minute HIIT and spinning classes.

It's a bike to nowhere, but I love it. Everyone in the house has an account and rides it.

Even my 17 year old son set his alarm for 6am this morning so he could get his ride in before my live class.

That's nice. Like that you share. My wife wants one. If she gets it I will use it for sure.

She will love it...as will you when it is raining, or snowing, or dark or you just don't have time to fit in a road ride.

It has a live leader board that makes it dam competitive. I have yet to finish outside the top 25%. Most rides have between 300-1000 participants per ride. There are a ton of cyclist on there that use it for training.

AND you don't have to worry about getting squished by a car.

I will warn you, it's like a dang cult!

There are like 18 live rides per day starting as early as 3AM CST and as late as 8PM. Pluse several thousand on-demand rides. Probably 20 or so instructors with everything from country, to rap, to ragae, to rock, hip-hop, rave....

I'm an old road biker and plan to buy another soon. I sold my Cervelo about 18 years ago and haven't been on the road since.

I love these network reports. "News Flash circa 2018" - Cardio is good for you? Wow! Thanks ABC. Cardio can be intimidating to many 'middle aged' folks who did not grow up active, were not athletes, don't know where to start, or who have never darkened the doors of a gym. Cardio may mean walking to the mailbox and back 2x/day for some while to others a 45 minute run at a 7:30 pace on the treadmill in the morning and the elliptical in the evening is the norm.

Physiologically our bodies adapt to stressors placed upon them and quickly depending on the stress. Exercise in any form is a stressor and yes it exercises your heart muscle and maintains or improves elasticity. Doing the same cardio day in/day out will help but only for a short period of time. Changing the input and levels of exertion are also very key components.

Triathlons and cross training is the winning combo for middle age folks....thats why those Triathlon races' age groups are heavy on the middle age folks! Biggest and fastest group is often the 40-50 year olds.

It also mentions intervals.....up/down/up/down.

Many people don't understand, when running or biking...there are street intersections where your HR recovers...the down part. Light turns green, HR goes back up. Unless it's a closed course or some back road....it's intervals.

I don't like stinky gyms. I never was into sports growing up past middle school....I was smaller and weaker. Fast forward 20 plus years (40 is knocking on my door) and one 6 month old baby....one day I said, I'm going on a run, tired of sitting around drinking beer, ect. Went out and ran 1 mile, and that was 2.5 years ago and MANY races later. I run just about every day and compete rather well against people my age. First time in my life....I am competitive in sports and winning, but really I am more competitive with myself than anything by pushing the limits. Anyone can do it! I am proof! (More to my story, but I don't share publicly)

All it takes is putting one foot in front of the other....over and over again!