If you're an adult with early signs of heart disease but no symptoms yet, being very active can help you live longer and avoid heart problems — studies suggest it might delay death by over 30%.

If you have calcium in your heart arteries, you’re at higher risk for a heart attack—even if you’re a marathon runner. Exercise doesn’t make that calcium harmless.

People who exercise a ton tend to have more calcium in their heart arteries than couch potatoes—but surprisingly, they don’t have more heart attacks. The calcium buildup doesn’t mean they’re at higher risk.

If you have signs of heart artery buildup, living healthier and staying mentally well can lower your chance of dying or having a heart problem — and the more healthy habits you have, the better off you are, with each new habit cutting your risk by about 11%.

Even though super-fit people have more calcium in their heart arteries, they still live longer and have fewer heart attacks — their fitness seems to protect them from the danger of the plaque.

People who move more—especially those who do brisk walking, running, or other intense activities—tend to have fewer heart problems, and this benefit is even stronger for people who are already at high risk for heart disease.