You don't have to be a gym rat to battle atrial fibrillation I've never been a big fan of the gym craze in this country. If you ask me, it's a nationwide vanity addiction that's masquerading as a health movement. Still, it's important to your health to stay active - especially when it comes to keeping a healthy heart. According to the results of a new study, light to moderate exercise - and I mean REALLY light, like walking a few blocks or even dancing - can actually prevent atrial fibrillation in the elderly. Atrial fibrillation (abnormal heart rhythm) can cause blood to pool rather than course through the heart, and pooling blood can create a blood clot that could travel to the heart or the brain. It's characterized by an irregular, rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, profuse sweating, chest pain, dizziness, extreme fatigue, and occasional fainting. As a result, one of the biggest dangers of atrial fibrillation (AF) is stroke. This new study by Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, a cardiologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, found lower incidences of AF in more active seniors. Those who walked just five to 11 blocks A WEEK dropped their risk factor by as much as 22 percent. That's hardly any exercise at all! Those who walked between 12 and 23 blocks a week had a 33 percent lower risk. And those who walked 60 or more blocks a week - that's less than six blocks every day - lowered their risk by 44 percent. The key here is moderate exercise. Previous studies have shown that vigorous exercise has the opposite effect - it increases the risk of AF, even in younger people. I'm not talking about running marathons or bench-pressing small cars. Just keeping your body moving. As this study shows, it can lead to huge benefits, no matter your age. In addition to exercise, there's also a simple, nutritional solution to atrial fibrillation. In 1994, nutritionist Dr. Abraham Hoffer had success treating AF with a combo of folic acid and niacin. His plan combined high doses of niacin, folate, and vitamin B12. I suggest trying 5,000 micrograms of folic acid on its own first. This is a much higher dose than I usually suggest for general heart health, but folic acid is one of the safest nutrients around, and even very large doses like this are harmless. You can buy folic acid supplements that contain 800 micrograms per tablet in most health food stores. If folate isn't doing the job on its own, then I would add 800 micrograms of B12, 100 milligrams of niacin, and 200 milligrams of B6. But don't stop taking the folic acid; there may be a synergy between all of the nutrients that causes the improvement in cases of AF. | 
