The Heart Foundation of Jamaica Reggae Marathon Team

	As the Charity sponsor of The Reggae Marathon, The Heart Foundation of Jamaica endorses the work of the Jamdammers in the staging of an event which promotes exercise as a daily routine for a healthy lifestyle. The Foundation’s participation also brings to everyone’s attention the benefits of a regular exercise programme as a means of not only maintaining a healthy lifestyle, but more importantly in helping to prevent the onset of heart disease. Training for a marathon requires discipline and dedication and must be founded on continuous aerobic exercise to be able to handle the distance of the race. Aerobic exercise is the recommended type of exercise to strengthen the heart and lungs and improve the body’s ability to use oxygen. Additionally exercise helps the body to produce endorphins in the brain, which provide a sense of well being. Over time, aerobic exercise can lead to a decrease in your heart rate and blood pressure and improvement in your breathing. Exercise also reduces the fat content in the body; this leads to a further decrease in the blood pressure, and in the diabetic patient helps to control blood sugar levels. Exercise helps to prevent and control five of the main risk factors for heart disease, namely hypertension, diabetes, cholesterol levels, inactivity and obesity.