But what if you cannot exercise due to injury, disability or a medical condition? 

You may be able to still help yourself with two nutrients to support heart and blood vessel health. One is coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) and the other is grape seed extract (GSE). While neither replaces the benefits you glean from repetitive or aerobic exercise, here’s what they do for you.

Inside every cell are powerhouse mitochondria which are responsible for keeping cells alive and your body supplied with the energy it needs to function. When you are low in energy, your body prompts the mitochondria to “make more”. Since exercise requires energy, your body simply makes more mitochondria to keep up with the energy supply and demand. Thus exercising creates more energy even if it requires more energy. 

What happens when you don’t exercise? 

Several studies point out that sedentary adults have lower levels of antioxidants, and higher levels of oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is associated with free radicals and cellular damage. Aging adults also have the risk of sarcopenia or “muscle wasting”, especially if they do not exercise. 

Taken as a supplement, CoQ10 supports the mitochondrial in energy production and offer antioxidant activity against the free radicals caused by this process. CoQ10 is required by the heart muscle which is where most of CoQ10, in the body is found due to it  24/7 energy needs. As an extra heart bonus, CoQ10 helps counteract the oxidation of cholesterol into "bad" cholesterol and plaques in blood vessels which aids circulation. Increased circulation means optimal nutrients and oxygen delivery to every cell in your body for optimum health, including your lungs.  

Grape seed extract is a bioflavonoid from grape seeds and standardized to a specific polyphenol content (the higher the percent, the more strength it is). GSE, like other bioflavonoids, works well with antioxidants to aid their activity. One of GSE’s abilities is to influence enzymes that increase nitric oxide levels to improve circulation in sedentary adults. GSE also appears to help with the inflammatory response that affects muscle wasting, offers antioxidant activity against oxidative stress and supports a healthy cholesterol level.    

Now the bad news. 

CoQ10 appears to be low in some 90 different disorders, including fibromyalgia, which impacts the health of body tissues and function. One particularly vulnerable area is the mitochondria. Fibromyalgia has a known mitochondrial dysfunction with associated low energy. Fibromyalgia people in general are also sedentary as it “hurts to move”. Most try to stay as active as possible to maintain a ”normal” quality of life. In a study by Dr. Cordero and his colleagues, fibromyalgia subjects were tested and found low in CoQ10. When given CoQ10, many of their symptoms improved. 

While these two nutrients are not “magic bullets” you can take to avoid exercise, they may be helpful for some who cannot exercise. They may increase antioxidant activity, help with circulation for nutrient and oxygen delivery and support sedentary muscles. In addition, both CoQ10 and GSE taken as supplements have an impeccable safety record and can be taken together. 

Breathing is one exercise that we all do every day. Find a quiet spot. Relax in a seated or lying down position. Purposely take a deep inhale to a count of 5 and holding for a count of three.Slowly exhale to a count of 5. Rest a moment. Then repeat 3-5 times. It may not feel as if you are exercising but these simple breaths will increase oxygen and circulation throughout your body  (and you may even feel more energized!)  The second exercise is to make sure to drink several glasses of purified water a day as water contains oxygen too. Even if you cannot do physically challenging exercise, you can always do something that improves your health.