Arnold Schwarzenegger has weighed in on a question most people assume they already know the answer to: when does heart disease actually start? His comments come as a common assumption- that it's a later-life problem with plenty of warning- runs up against research suggesting otherwise. 

A new study scanned nearly 17,000 healthy adults with no known heart disease and found that more than half already showed plaque building in their arteries. Combining ultrasounds of the neck and leg arteries with a heart CT scan let researchers catch disease that a heart-only test would likely have missed. 

In his daily newsletter, "Arnold's Pump Club," the former bodybuilder broke down how early those warning signs can appear.  

"About 1 in 13 people in their late teens and 20s already had plaque. By their 30s, more than a third of men did. And by 60 to 70, it was roughly 9 in 10."Arnold Schwarzenegger wrote in his daily newsletter.

Schwarznegger also pointed out that the risk isn't distributed evenly. Men tend to hit higher-risk territory five to ten years before women, with women's risk catching up around the time menopause typically begins. 

While the former bodybuilder noted that the study doesn't prove that finding or treating early plaque changes someone's odds of a future heart attack, he did stress the importance of getting ahead of the problem well before it shows up on a scan.

"The real message is that it’s never too early to address the little things that prevent plaque in the first place."

For now, the takeaway is straightforward: waiting until your forties or fifties to think about heart health may already be starting too late. 

6 best exercises to help improve your heart health 

Nearly every form of physical activity, from cardio to lifting to flexibility work, contributes to a healthier heart, so a workout missing from this list isn't a wasted one. According to Kim Grundy, PT at GoodRx, the real key is choosing options you'll keep coming back to. 

Listed below are some of the exercises that can help improve heart health.

• Brisk walking: Just 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week, is linked to a lower risk of coronary heart disease.
• Running: Burns more calories and pushes your heart harder in less time than walking.
• Cycling: Offers similar cardiovascular benefits with less impact on your joints.
• Strength training: Builds lean muscle and has been tied to a major drop in heart attack and stroke risk.
• Yoga: Lower intensity, but still improves cholesterol, blood glucose, and blood pressure.
• HIIT: Alternates short bursts of intense effort with recovery periods and can boost fitness even more than steady, moderate exercise.

In the end, exercise and crafting a routine you'll actually keep doing is crucial. 

Written by

Chionia Libania Colaco