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How to Exercise For a Healthy Heart

June 5, 2011 By jsheaz1v Leave a Comment

How to exercise for a healthy heart

A healthy heart is without doubt the most important muscle you need for good health and exercise is a great way to obtain it so it is wise to

Know how exercise helps maintain a healthy heart and how it prevents heart attacks.

Know why traditional cardio exercise is not necessarily the best option.

Know how to keep your metabolism high for hours after finishing your exercise program

And

Know why circuit training can burn fat like no other form of training.

 

The majority of people who start an exercise program do so to improve their appearance by building muscle, losing weight or a combination of the two and there is also a minority of people who exercise with the specific aim of improving their ability in their chosen sport.

What ever gets you training is great in my opinion so there is nothing wrong with training for these reasons, but what you should also remember are the benefits a solid exercise program will have on keeping your heart healthy and the importance this plays in your general well-being.

Regular exercise improves the heart because it is a muscle and just like all muscles if you exercise it regularly it becomes stronger, and a strong healthy heart is probably the single most important factor in preventing disease – In fact it can literally save your life and you can ask no more of any muscle than that.

The reason exercise works to keep your heart healthy is because when you train your heart is required to work harder than normal and therefore pumps more oxygen filled blood throughout your body. This improves your circulation and helps to keep all of your organs and muscles healthy.

The result is your heart becomes stronger and therefore less susceptible to disease which is a great benefit on its own but it gets even better than that because regular exercise will also lower your resting heart rate meaning that it doesn’t have to work as hard to do its job and just like a machine the less it has to work the longer it will last.

If that sounds great just consider for a moment that a very fit athlete can achieve a resting heart rate of 45-50 beats per minute whilst a normal person of the same age will have a resting heart beat of 70 – 75 beats per minute. As you can see the athlete’s heart only has to do two thirds of the work of an average personS which helps maintain a healthy heart.

The more research that is done the more scientists are realizing that the worst thing you can do to for a healthy heart is nothing at all because the fact is, a sedentary life style is a major cause of heart disease and heart attacks. So when it comes to your heart it is a classic case of use it or lose it and you only have to look at the statistics of America to confirm this.

The sedentary or inactive life style that has swept the country has led to heart attacks and coronary disease becoming the number one cause of death and disability in the United States but the sad thing is it doesn’t have to happen if people would only get of their backsides and become more active.

For instance, did you know that a good exercise program will reduce your chances of having a heart attack by as much as 45%? And you also have the other health benefits of exercise to take into consideration such as the reduced risk of developing diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure as well as preventing many other horrible diseases.

So you can see the importance of having a healthy heart and how exercise is crucial to achieving this.

The question that remains is which type of exercise is the best way of improving the condition of your heart and respiratory system? The answer is not as straight forward as one might think because as always in life there are different opinions from different camps.

Some experts say that the best way to achieve a healthy heart is to do some form of aerobic activity at a certain pace for 30 minutes at least four times a week. In fact this has been the standard advice for many years and it is true to a certain extent.

However, some research suggests that this is not the best method for a healthy heart because it will not enable you to maintain a high metabolism for very long after you have finished doing your exercise and you will also lose muscle mass if this is the only training you do.

So what does metabolism and muscle mass have to do with my heart? Well if your metabolism stays higher for a longer period after training like it does with circuit training for example, then you will burn more fat and the less fat you have, the less your heart will have to work to lug you around. The reason muscle mass is important is because the more muscle you have the more calories you will burn to maintain it meaning once again that you will carry less fat.

But this is not the end of the debate because other experts are of the opinion that exercising for short bursts of high intensity followed by short bursts of low intensity such as sprinting for a certain distance, and then gently jogging whist your heart slows down and then sprinting again, is a better way of exercising the heart simply because for a short period your heart has to work a lot harder than it could for a sustained time such as 30 minutes.

The experts who recommend this type of training say the result is a heart that can handle short periods of intense demand when necessary which is a more realistic requirement for every day life. They also say this type of training will keep your metabolism high for many hours after you have finished exercising and so burn more calories.

We are still not finished though because another type of training some say is the best for a healthy heart is circuit training were you go from one exercise to another without stopping, for example, doing a set of press ups then a set of squats then a set of pull ups then a set of squat thrusts and so on. The reasons they give for circuit training being a superior form of exercise is because not only are you maintaining a more or less constant high heart rate, but you are also exercising most of the muscles of your body at the same time which will stop you from losing muscle mass and so burn more fat than the traditional 30 minutes of steady paced cardio.

And finally there is one more type of training that some recommend for a healthy heart and that is traditional progressive weight training with the usual 3 or 4 sets of 10 reps for each exercise.

The reasons given for this being the best type of training for a healthy heart are basic weight training builds up the muscles around the chest and this can help prevent certain heart diseases such as angina, the short bursts of rapid heart rate followed by a minutes rest is good for accustoming your heart to work at a rapid pace if necessary and finally weight training will maintain and build muscle mass which helps control your weight because as mentioned before the more muscle you have the more calories you need to feed it.

So there you have it, as you can see not everybody agrees on the best way to maintain a healthy heart and there are many options to choose from. If you are wondering which is the best type of training for you I would ask you to remember the following points.

The first thing to keep in mind is any exercise is better than none at all, so it is a case of horses for courses. What ever type of exercise you enjoy the most is the one you should do simply because the more fun you have doing it the more likely you are to keep at it

Also be realistic, if you are young and fit there is no reason why you should not do what ever type of training you want. If you are in your late 30s or 40s you can still do the type of training you prefer but you should take things very gradually and build up the intensity of your training very slowly. Remember, if you try to do too much to soon you will almost certainly injure yourself which will either hamper your training or discourage you from continuing, so remember with small steps you can climb mountains.

Finally, if you are in your 50s, 60s or even more mature than you should still exercise, in fact even more so than a younger person but you must be realistic. You are not going to be able to do circuit training with the same intensity as a younger person but you don’t need to because you will benefit by doing what you are safely capable of and staying within those limits.

Conclusion,

The plague of heart attacks and respiratory disease that is rife in many western countries need not happen if people follow the advice of those involved in the medical and health professions. It is a fact that living a sedentary life style is a disaster for a healthy heart and you need to be active what ever your age.

What type of exercise you do is up to you, a combination of some resistance training to maintain muscle mass and some aerobic exercise to get your heart working harder and pumping some oxygen full blood around the body is probably the best advice, but keep in mind anything from gardening to dancing is better than no exercise at all. So it comes down to personal choice, do what makes you happy, but do something – it could save your life -.

Good luck

Written by Shivashankar.V. Jirli.
Working as a Head of the Department of Mathematics since 15 years.

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Arthritis Exercises

June 5, 2011 By jsheaz1v Leave a Comment

A recommended 30-minute minimum of daily activity is the norm. Before starting any exercise program, it is vital that one speak to their doctor to ensure there are no unseen risks, however you will find that most doctors recommend exercise for their arthritis patients either on their own initiative or when asked.
    
The types of exercises suggested vary; however, with all types of exercise the warm-up is the starting point. Warming up is best started with applying warm compresses to the joints, followed by mild stretching. Range of motion exercises, such as dance, are a very good start, as are low-impact aerobics. These can relieve stiffness and increase flexibility.

Never discount the effectiveness of walking as an exercise. Walking is a great exercise to improve the arthritic condition, and carrying weights as light as one pound and using your arms as you walk can involve the whole body. The “trick” is to make walking interesting enough as an exercise to stay motivated. Try walking in different settings, alternating walking with dance on different days, and of course including a partner can be much more interesting than going at it alone.

Using aquatics: exercising in a pool-is a great way to exercise as well. Water is an excellent aid because it provides resistance that builds muscle in the entire body while reducing shock to the joints at the same time. Additionally, because the whole body tends to become involved in aquatic exercise the added benefit of cardiovascular exercise is enjoyed. If at all possible, find a heated pool to work out in. Warm water is soothing to the joints and will cause the blood vessels to dilate, increasing circulation. With that in mind, it is often beneficial to add using a spa to your regimen, perhaps after your workout, in order to provide some soothing jets of water to your muscles and even more help with increased circulation, which is always vital when dealing with arthritis.

If you still want more variety, you may want to try yoga. Yoga is a general term for several stretching, and pose-oriented exercises originating in India, and is extremely beneficial toward achieving flexibility and reducing stress physically and mentally. There are gentle forms of yoga such as Hatha Yoga that are excellent to start with. Hatha Yoga comprises of gentle stretches and simple poses that help flexibility and balance, and are easy to learn and enjoy. Check your local activities paper or section of your local paper to see if there are any yoga classes near you.

Even when you cannot make it out to walk or to an aquatics or yoga class, there are exercises you can do daily to improve flexibility, strength and conditioning. You can flex your legs while sitting in a chair facing forward, simply by moving your leg outward while keeping your foot on the floor and holding it there for a few seconds, then retracting it until your foot is behind you, then alternating to the other leg. Interlocking your fingers and slowly flexing your wrists to the left and the right for a few minutes a day can help tremendously to increase flexibility and reduce pain in the wrist area.

For your upper back, you can stand upright in front of a table, then lean over and place your hands on the table and tuck your chin back toward your collarbone. Once positioned as such, lift your upper back upward and simultaneously take a deep breath. Hold that position for 5-10 seconds and then relax while exhaling. While doing this, lower your spine slowly as you move both shoulder blades forward as if toward each other. Repeat this exercise for 10-15 repetitions.
For the shoulders and middle back, start again from an upright position standing as straight as you can, reach back and lock the fingers of both hands together. Breathe slowly and deeply and lift upward with your shoulders while at the same time, exhaling. Be sure to keep your chest up and your chin in. Repeat this for about 10-15 sets.

For the shoulders and upper chest, choose a free corner of the room to stand in and place your hands on the opposite sides of the corner. Take a step back about 18 inches from the corner. You now should be facing the corner directly with your hands on both of the walls with your body some distance from the wall itself. Keeping your chest up after inhaling, lean in toward the corner while exhaling. Repeat this exercise for 10-15 sets.

Whatever exercise program you choose, be sure to breathe properly when exercising. Oxygenation is important to any exercise regimen as it promotes a healthy heart rate and reduces fatigue; additionally oxygenation helps circulation, which is vital to achieving the flexibility and strength that you are trying to achieve in battling arthritis. Also, listen to your body. It is natural to feel a little fatigue and soreness when starting a new exercise regimen, However if the pain of soreness persists for more than one hour, or you have a decrease in mobility that lasts longer than an hour, then the regimen should be reduced until the soreness desists.

Also, look for signs of increased swelling of joints or any persistent increase of weakness; these are signs of activities that are too strenuous and a reduction in activity will be necessary. Just remember to take all new exercise regimens slowly at the start. The idea is to increase flexibility not train for the Olympics.

There are three main types of exercises to include in a basic exercise program:

Range-of-motion exercises – These lessen stiffness and help with improving flexibility. “Range of motion” refers to the area within which the joints move naturally or on a daily basis. Although these range-of-motion exercises can be performed every day, it is recommended that they be done at least every other day.

Strengthening exercises – There are two types of strengthening exercises; isometric or tightening the muscles without moving the joints, and isotonic, moving of the joints for strengthening muscle movements. It is recommended to do these sets of exercises every other day, unless you are suffering from more than mild joint pain or swelling.

ndurance exercises – The objective of these is to increase stamina. They also help with improving your inner personal / mental strength and with improving weight control and sleep. Some of the most popular endurance exercises are stationary bike riding, walking and water exercising. And unless you are suffering from more than mild joint pain or swelling, a 20- to 30-minute workout or two to three short 10-minute bouts during the day is what is recommended, an average of three times each week. Be kind to your body, and it will be kind to you.

Arthritis Exercise Tips
 
Let’s sum up arthritis exercise with a few tips for all:

– Establish your own unique, exercise program so that it meets you personal health needs, budget and environment. Make sure it is safe by checking with your own professional healthcare advisor and workout trainer. And take it slow and steady like Aesop’s turtle in the race.

– Be kind to yourself. Stop if something hurts. And experiment with applying heat before exercising and warming up. Then cool off afterwards with cold packs.

– Enjoy exercising by making it a real part of your life during the week. Include range-of-motion, strengthening and endurance exercises in your routines. And vary your activities; try a new class at a health club one quarter. Next time, go elsewhere or join a naturalist group for weekly hikes in local parks. Keep an active folder with pockets of gyms and health clubs near you with their schedules and up-dated classes and coupon specials. And check newspapers, local bulletin boards, postings at the gyms and clubs, etc. for healthy activities like walk-a-thons and bike-a-thons for nonprofits and evening / weekend hikes in which you can participate. You’ll meet new friends, have fun, get out more and exercise all at the same time.

– Exercise activities are available all around you, too. No need to spend time and money elsewhere. You can borrow exercise videos, cassettes, DVDs and books from public libraries. You can get active by washing windows, cleaning your house, car, pet, children’s closets, your closets, anything…You can even earn money doing activities like walking and distributing flyers, local newspapers and coupons (check with companies who place these in and around your mailbox and door – -they often need help).

Written by nickdivine
Music is my muse, I daydream a lot, I have O.C.D, I am a germ-a-phobe, I love to organize, I don’t like messy.

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Eating Disorders and Compulsive Exercise

June 5, 2011 By jsheaz1v Leave a Comment

We in the United States have developed a skewed notion of healthy exercise. We either don’t exercise at all, or we exercise far too much.

The difference between healthy and unhealthy exercise is all about enjoyment. Compulsive exercisers often find no satisfaction in their athletic achievements, and they almost never do it for fun.  Women with eating disorders often report that at least one or both parents are compulsive exercisers whose days are “ruined” if can’t get their five-mile daily run. Exercise addicts will find time at any cost — including cutting school, taking off from work or hiding in the bathroom — to exercise.

Compulsive exercise may be no more than another way to purge. As with all other disordered eating behaviors, the apparent goal is to burn calories and lose weight, but ultimately the exercise provides a temporary sensation of power, control and/or self-respect. It’s a way to cope with stress, forget about underlying issues, escape inner pain and relieve guilt. Compulsive exercise is as dangerous as restricting, purging or using diet pills and laxatives. Combining restriction and/or binging and purging with compulsive exercise can quickly lead to serious illness (kidney failure, heart attack) or death.

Athletes and Eating Disorders

Athletes may engage in compulsive exercise to please coaches and parents and meet the expectations of others. Eating disorders continue to be on the rise among athletes, especially those involved in sports that emphasize thinness such as gymnastics, figure skating, dancing and synchronized swimming. According to a 1992 American College of Sports Medicine study, eating disorders affect 62 percent of female athletes.

An athlete with an eating disorder and an exercise addiction risks serious medical consequences. Any heart murmurs or arrhythmias are naturally aggravated and made worse. Because their nutrition is so poor, they also risk bone damage and loss from osteoporosis. They’re also more prone to stress fractures and other physical injuries than their teammates, and any injuries may take an abnormally long time to heal.

So What is Healthy Exercise?

To maintain cardiovascular health, 2,000-3,500 calories should be burned each week through aerobic exercise, such as running, dancing, cycling and the like. Thirty to 45 minutes a day, five or six days a week is sufficient to acquire these health benefits. Exercise beyond 3,500 calories per week, however, leads to decreased physical benefits and increased risk of injury.

Do I Have an Exercise Addiction?

These red flags that you may be exercising for the wrong reasons are from Disordered Eating, Food Obsessions and Compulsive Exercise by Nancy Clark.

preoccupation with exercise routine or intrusive thoughts about exercise that interfere with your ability to concentrate or focus

finding time at any cost to exercise, like cutting school or taking time off from work

exercise is your social life — you turn down social activities so as not to miss your scheduled workout

feeling overly anxious, guilty or angry if unable to exercise and you can’t tolerate changes or interruptions of your exercise routine exercising alone to avoid having your routine disturbed

exercising is driven primarily by a desire to control your weight, shape and/or body composition food choices are based solely on exercise (you exercise as punishment for eating “bad” foods, to purge calories or you overly restrict what you eat if you can’t exercise) lying about exercise or you always exercise alone

you can’t take rest days or time off from exercise — even if you’re injured or ill.

persistent desire and/or unsuccessful attempts to control or reduce exercise (e.g., can’t take a day off during the week or time off periodically throughout the year)

engaging in non-purposeful or excessive exercise beyond a sensible fitness or training program

how you feel about yourself on a daily basis is based on how much exercise you perform or how hard you work out

amenorrhea (loss of three consecutive menses or failure to begin menstruating by age sixteen) and/or stress fractures

Written by edrecovey

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