Cardio Activity and Your Heart

Heart disease is one of the nation’s deadliest killers taking the lives of almost one million Americans each year. Each of us has a different susceptibility to cardiovascular disease. Your fitness level and what you eat plays a major role. Approximately 64 million Americans have cardiovascular disease, and here’s the shocker; as many as 40 percent of those who suffer a heart attack have no symptoms. A heart attack may occur due to heart disease but not always and although it is the leading cause of death it can be prevented. Women usually have fewer heart attacks than men but after menopause women catch up to men in the number of heart attacks experienced.

So, what are the factors that lead to heart disease?
The most commonly recognized risk factors are:

1 Stress
2 Smoking
3 High levels of LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol)
4 Low levels of HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol)
5 High Blood-pressure.
6 Obesity
7 Diabetes
8 Destructive form of amino acid called homocysteine
9 Heredity

The heart is the most crucial organ to sustain life and to keep it ticking efficiently, our priority should be to prevent its deterioration. The simplest Mantra for prevention of heart disease is; eat well, exercise and adopt a healthy lifestyle. This has been said countless times before and the simple truth is that those who do follow through with the advice enjoy a much healthier and longer life.

NOTE: Always check with your physician first before changing or implementing any sort of a diet or exercise program especially if you're taking prescription or over the counter medicines.

Some factors to consider when adopting a healthier lifestyle include but not limited to: (also check with your physician)

1 Cut down on dietary fat and cholesterol

2 Check your blood pressure regularly

3 Don’t smoke (fortunately there are a lot of resources available for those wanting to quit).

4 Learn to meditate, this will lessen stress.

5 Exercise - Being sedentary is one of the biggest risk factors for heart attacks.

6 Control your weight - If you're obese

7 Control your diabetes


Symptoms of a heart attack

NOTE: These symptoms may or may not indicate a heart attack. In any case medical help should be sought immediately because some heart attacks are the ’silent type’.

The American Heart Association lists them as:

-Uncomfortable pressure, fullness or squeezing and excruciating pain in the chest.
-Pain spreading to shoulder, neck, and arms. Specifically left sided neck and arm pain.
-Light headedness, fainting.
-Shortness of breath with little exertion.
-Profuse sweating.

The first hour is very critical. So, don’t waste time thinking its gas or flatulence. Act immediately and call 911 don’t waste time calling your doctor, he’ll most likely ask you to call 911 anyway. Heart disease can be easily prevented it's just a matter of implementing a healthier lifestyle.

To accomplish a good cardio-vascular workout all you really need is a good pair of running shoes. Most cardio-vascular exercise needs little or no third party apparatus to help you accomplish your routine. Running, dancing, walking can all be done with no equipment (well, if dancing, then maybe some music would help). Other forms of cardio are step, circuit training, bike riding, swimming, aerobics and more...

With most exercise you should always remember to warm up first and cool down afterwards. This means gently stretching and moving your muscles to start off with. Suddenly moving into full exercise without building up first will cause problems such as stiffness and cramps. Ease yourself into it. Then after exercise, the cool down is basically gently moving the muscles and joints to stretch and relax, as your body returns to its normal pace.

Running:
Make sure you have a good pair of running shoes. The technology put into these shoes nowadays is highly researched and designed to reduce shock to the feet, ankles, legs and back. So don't skimp on these - you get what you pay for.

Before you start your run, be sure to warm up first. Start with a brisk walk ensuring you move your arms vigorously gradually breaking into a slow jog. It is better to run at a speed to which you can still converse. If you find yourself losing breath, slow your pace down until you've recovered. If you are a novice runner try running and walking, until you can hold your run for 15 minutes.

Now increase the length and time of your run by a couple of minutes every other time you hit the road or treadmill, until you can run for 30 minutes without stopping. Try to increase your run time by 10% each week, remember not to over do it and don’t forget to warm down at the end of each by slowing down gradually. When your run is complete stretch your legs for 30 seconds per muscle, hamstring, calf and thigh.

Cycling:
Cycling is one of the best ways to get a good cardio-vascular workout.

First of all, if you are riding on the roads safety is paramount, always use the appropriate safety equipment when road riding. You can stay fit by riding a bike to work, most people work within a five mile radius of there place of work, which is a perfect distance for a bike ride.

Exercise bikes can be used in a variety of ways, general riding for specified length of time, this is like going for a bike ride with out the dangers of road riding and the weather. Warm up riding you can use an exercise bike for warming up the legs before a leg workout. Also exercise bike classes, these classes are taken by an instructor, who will put you through various levels of pace, quite like a circuit training exercise with a bike.

You may find it surprising to find that riding a bike five miles 3 times per week will improve your heart rate, your posture, skin and weight control. Some even say that riding and running are great ways of relieving stress.

Swimming:
One of the best ways to firm up and trim your body down. Due to the resistance the water has on the body swimming involves all the major muscle groups this allows the body to burn up to 20% more calories than swimming through air. Swimming a few lengths per day will keep you fit and give you an excellent workout. Swimming also has less impact on the joints than say, running.

If you wish to take your swim a little further try picking up the pace of your swim, you can work up to a great aerobic exercise and give your body an excellent workout.

Start off by swimming 1-2 lengths at a time resting between sets if necessary, after you have swam ten lengths call it a day. The next day repeat the process until you can swim five lengths without a break. Progress to ten lengths in by adding an extra length each time you return.

You can put together your own cardio raining routing in the gym, if you have a problem with this then the staff on hand will write one for you and show you how to achieve your goal. Try to make your cardio last between an hour and an hour and a half. A good start point for cardio is always a run.

This cardio workout will work for a person of medium fitness, however adjust the times and pace according to your fitness levels.

1. Run at a light pace for 20 minutes, start off at a walking pace and gradually move to a run, this helps you get warmed up and the blood pumping.

2. Rowing machine- set the rowing machine for a countdown time of 15 minutes or keep a check on your watch or the clock. Start off with a slow rowing motion to get the pace up, maintain this steady pace throughout the full 13 minutes and use the 2 minutes to slow the pace down.

3. Move immediately on to exercise bike take a stead paced ride for 12 minutes with a sprint finish for the remaining 3 minutes.

4. After the exercise bike move directly on to the step climber for a period of 15 minutes climbing on a light level to get the legs going. Try to move at a swift pace for the full 15 minutes as this is the last of the leg work you will be doing.

5. When you have completed the step climber, move onto the abs bench for some crunches. 4 sets of crunches to failure is your target for this exercise. Try twisting your body and touching your left knee with your right elbow and vice versa.

6. The last exercise in this quick cardio workout is the leg raise apparatus. Bring your knees up to your chest for 3-4 sets for as many reps as possible (failure)

After the completion of this cardio workout, remember to do a full warm down by stretching the muscles. The full workout should take you around 1 hour 20 minutes.

This article will furnish you comprehensive Dietary Advice For Prehypertensive and Hypertensive Blood Pressure Levels. Here you will find Diet Tips To Reduce Blood Pressure

Diet For High Blood Pressure and Hypertension, Relation Between Diet and Blood Pressure
If you have Bad eating habits then it contributes significantly to unhealthily high blood pressure levels, even in middle age, when blood pressure levels typically rise as part of the aging process. Whether or not you are taking antihypertensive drugs, the need to make dietary improvements (eg. follow a healthy low-fat diet) is frequently at the top of a doctor's list of recommendations to reduce or prevent the onset of high blood pressure. Before outlining the best type of diet for hypertension, let's take a brief look at health consequences of raised blood pressure.

Hazards of Hypertension & High Blood Pressure
In under developed as well as developed countries, an estimated 20-40 percent of all adults suffer from persistent high blood pressure. High blood pressure puts a strain on the heart causing atherosclerosis(Thickenning of vessels). Result is damage to heart, Coronary artery disease, Kidney failure, Strok, Eye damage. Choice is yours, try to save these vital organs by controlling your BP. Remember Hypertension is a silent Killer, it shows its effects silently and when you come to know that you have BP, by that time hypertension often affects your vital organs.

Normal Blood Pressure Levels vs. Prehypertensive and Hypertensive
Normal blood pressure of an healthy adult at rest, is 120 (systolic) over 80 (diastolic) or less. Blood pressure levels greater than 120/80 and below 140/90 are at prehypertensive stage, while levels above 140/90 are considered hypertensive stage. Both prehypertensive and hypertensive subjects should make diet, exercise and lifestyle changes to reduce or prevent the onset of hypertension and reduce the risk of heart disease.

Weight increases blood Pressure
Over weight persons will be having high blood pressure. Weight reduction significantly decreases blood pressure.People with obesity double their risk of developing the disorder. In addition, roughly 7 out of 10 obese adults suffer from high blood pressure. If you lose even 10 pounds can produce noticeable improvements.

Dietary Advice and Tips For High Blood Pressure
If you have high blood pressure and not overweight, here are few tips to control your BP.

Choose A Healthy Balanced Diet
If you want to reduce your blood pressure, your diet should be rich in fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy foods, while low in saturated and trans-fats. It should also be low in cholesterol, high in fiber, calcium,potassium and magnesium, and moderately high in protein. The American Heart Association and U.S. government recommend the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet as a good diet guide to reduce blood pressure.

First thing is to Reduce Your Intake of Sodium (Salt)
How salt intake increases blood pressure. Eating too much salt or sodium-rich foods leads to a greater uptake of fluid and causes greater retension of water inside body, leads to volume overloard and High blood presure. It also places extra strain on the arterioles (blood vessels that dilate/constrict to regulate blood pressure and blood flow). Both these effects lead to higher blood pressure. The Recoomended daily dose for sodium for most people is 2,400 mg.

You can Reduce Sodium Intake
How can you decrease sodium intake? Eat less pre-cooked or processed food, and eat more fresh food. Sodium is found naturally in fresh foods like grains, fruits, vegetables, meats, nuts, and dairy products, but in much lower quantities than in processed foods (eg. packet, bottled or canned food).

High Sodium Foods
These foods typically have a high sodium content. In order not to exceed the RDA, either avoid them altogether, or choose low-sodium varieties.
Sauces: baking soda, barbecue sauce, catsup, garlic salt, mustard, onion salt,Soy sauce, steak sauce, salad dressing, baking powder, mustard, onion salt, seasoned salts like lemon pepper, bouillon cubes, meat tenderizer, and monosodium glutamate.
Salted Snacks: peanuts, pretzels, pork rinds.Tortilla chips, corn chips
Soup: instant soups, Regular canned soups.
Pickled Food: Olives, or sauerkraut, Herring, pickles, relish,
Meats: smoked or cured meats (containing sodium-nitrite) such as bacon, bologna, hot dogs, ham, corned beef, luncheon meats, and sausage, Hogmaws, ribs, and chitterlings,.
Dairy: Most cheese spreads and cheeses.
Drinks: club soda, saccharin-flavored soda,
Cereals: Instant hot cereals, Regular ready to eat cold cereals,
Ready-to-Eat: boxed mixes like rice, scalloped potatoes, macaroni and cheese and some frozen dinners, pot pies and pizza. Quick cook rice, instant noodles,
Fats: Butter, fatback, and salt pork.

Check Labels of Food Containers:
Choose those foods which labeled as low-sodium, very low sodium, or salt-free. Check food labels for words that indicate a high sodium content, including: sodium nitrite, sodium proprionate, disodium phosphate, and sodium sulfate., monosodium glutamate (MSG), sodium benzoate, sodium hydroxide,

Lower Sodium Eating Habits
Do not add extra salt when cooking or preparing meals. Cook with more herbs and spices.
Do not have salt on the table while eating do not add salt on salad.
If you cook with salt, switch to chili, ginger and lemon juice for flavoring.
If you eat cured/smoked meats, switch to fresh cold meats.
If you eat ready-to-serve breakfast cereal, choose low-sodium types of cereal.
Rinse before eating, If you eat tuna, salmon, sardines, or mackerel canned in water.
If you eat soup, switch to low-sodium or fresh soups.
If you cook with whole milk or fat diet, switch to 1 percent or skimmed buttermilk.
Remember taking less salt diet, Your BP will be in normal Limits.

If you want to know more about High Blood Pressure Diet Visit our website.

Here's some news you can take to heart: Experts say more than 70 million Americans currently live with a cardiovascular disease. And coronary heart disease is a leading cause of premature, permanent disability in the U.S. workforce.

Fortunately, there are practical steps you can take to reduce the health threat posed by heart disease.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, much of the burden of heart disease and stroke could be eliminated by reducing major risk factors: high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, tobacco use, diabetes, physical inactivity and poor nutrition.

For example, studies suggest a 10 percent decrease in total cholesterol levels may reduce the development of coronary heart disease by as much as 30 percent.

Twenty-five years ago, the treatment for heart attacks was simply bed rest. Today, doctors have medicines that can stop a heart attack in midstream as well as other high-tech treatments.

And more good news is on the way. According to a survey by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), there are 146 new medicines currently in development to treat heart disease and strokes.

To help Americans get the information they need to fight heart disease and strokes, PhRMA has launched a new multimedia national health education campaign.

"Coronary vascular disease impacts one in every three Americans and is the number one killer according to the American Heart Association. It's important for patients to know that there are steps they can take today that can reduce their chances of developing these killer diseases tomorrow," said Billy Tauzin, president and CEO.

PhRMA's public service health information campaign stresses the importance of consulting with health care providers, as well as visiting helpful Web sites that provide information on preventing and treating coronary disease.

"PhRMA members and their scientists want to help Americans find answers to their questions about heart disease and strokes," said Tauzin. "I hope everyone will take a moment to visit these sites and get the information they need to learn how to treat and ultimately prevent these killers."

Hypertension can sometimes confuse both the patient and the doctor for a couple of reasons. One, the physical symptoms of high blood pressure can vary quite widely. And secondly, it shares many symptoms with other diseases or conditions.

That’s why, in dealing with any illness, a thorough examination of the patient, including checking blood pressure, is essential.

It is quite common for patients to visit the doctor for one illness only to be told that their real problem is high blood pressure.

Undiagnosed hypertension can affect all the major organs of the body, including the heart, kidneys and liver. It is also capable of affecting vision and causing strokes.

The physical symptoms of high blood pressure can include giddiness, headaches, blurry vision, tremors, convulsions and difficulty in walking or exerting oneself and clinical depression, among other things.

Difficulty in even minor physical exertion and unusual tiredness may be signs of cardiac damage from high blood pressure. Excessive perspiration and breathlessness can also signal this condition. This is a serious situation and calls for immediate medical attention.

Damage to kidneys can cause symptoms like increase in frequency of urination or pain while passing urine. The skin may appear to be dull due to dehydration and electrolyte loss.

High blood pressure can affect vision causing lesions in the ocular region. If left untreated, it can cause loss of vision.

The problem is that many of these symptoms can cause the physician to suspect other diseases. Sometimes, the high blood pressure can also be a symptom of another underlying problem. Comprehensive testing may be necessary to zero in on the real problem.

In cases where hypertension caused damage to major organs, the real underlying problem (high blood pressure) may be missed. To avoid misdiagnosis, a blood pressure check is routinely done for a wide variety of complaints.

Some of the symptoms of hypertension are similar to those of diabetes. Some are even similar to that of a person who is heavily drunk!

In fact, there have been cases where hypertension was not detected or treated because it was assumed that the symptoms were induced by alcohol.

The range of physical symptoms of high blood pressure is wide enough to present real problems. Having any of the above symptoms is reason enough to consult a health care professional at the earliest.

The exercise benefit you may want from exercise may differ greatly from the exercise benefit someone else wants but some things remain the same.

Strong Heart
A strong heart does not have to work so hard so you are less likely to have a heart attack. Regular exercise also increases your HDL (good) cholesterol and helps lower your total cholesterol. Exercise also helps lower your blood pressure. Your lungs will also benefit from exercise as they become better conditioned so that activities such as climbing stairs will not make you out of breath.

Any exercise tip you use needs to be simple yet smart enough so you can use the exercise tips to quickly and easily adapt your exercise habits to continue to push ahead and reach your health, fitness, and physical appearance goals and still have the time for a great family life.

Exercise tip for an exercise benefit:
Get a baby jogger. You don't have to run or jog, walking at a fast pace will do just as good, but you should get a baby jogger they're much easier and smoother than a regular stroller for this;

Increased Self-Esteem:
Gaining control of your body size and weight through fitness is an amazing way to increase self-esteem. You look better and are more confident which empowers you in everything you do. You will find that the self-discipline required and learned through regular exercise spills over into other areas of your life and you will be better able to make other necessary and desireable changes

Start by talking with your doctor. This is especially important if you haven't been active, if you have any health problems, or if you're pregnant or elderly.

Exercise Makes Your Heart Happy
You may know that your heart is a muscle. It works hard, pumping blood every day of your life. You can help this important muscle get stronger by doing aerobic (say: air-o-bik) exercise.

Balance Ball
You've seen them lying around the gym, but you've never really known what to do with them. At first, you may have thought they looked "girly," but then you probably saw some of the most muscular guys at your gym using them. Balance ball is a great way to get great abs! We urge you to find out more about balance ball exercises!

Marvelous things happen beneath the skin in the heat of the sweat bath. The capillaries dilate permitting increased flow of blood to the skin in an attempt to draw heat from the surface and disperse it inside the body. The bather's skin becomes cherry red. The heart is pressed into a faster pace to keep up with the additional demands for blood. Impurities in the liver, kidneys, stomach, muscles, brain, and most other organs are flushed out by the faster flow of juices. The skin and kidneys filter the wastes, excreting them in sweat and urine.

Exercise Your Heart!

Some researchers claim that the rapid flexing of the heart and blood vessels in the heat of the sweat bath is a healthy exercise that puts little more strain on the heart than strolling on level ground. The increased capillary volume, they say, keeps blood pressure normal. Other medical people, however, qualify their commendations. One Finnish study observed that whereas blood pressure of healthy persons remains approximately normal in a sweat bath, there occurs a marked reduction of pressure in persons suffering from high blood pressure. However, this effect is only transient,

How Hot Do We Get?

While the surface temperature of the skin may rise as much as 1O degrees C, inner temperature increases up to 3 degrees C. This is the "fever" that Hippocrates and generations of medical people after him sought, and is created as one reclines in a sweat bath! Of course it is unlikely that "every disease" can be cured by fever, but it is common knowledge that many bacterial and viral agents do not survive well at temperatures higher than normal body temperature. It is also possible that damaged cells repair themselves quicker in fever conditions due to the increased metabolic rate. Recovery from illness then comes easier and quicker.

The inner temperature rise also affects the function of important endocrine glands, the pituitary in particular. Located in the bottom center of the brain, the pituitary is known as the master gland because its hormones regulate both metabolism and the activity of other glands such as the thyroid, adrenal, ovaries and testes. Urged by the heat, the pituitary accelerates the body's metabolism and affects the interplay of several of the body's hormones. Some people have gone as far to say that sex drive is increased and growth stimulated in the sauna bath.

Exercise Your Lungs Too!

The oxygen needs of the body increase by about 2O percent so the lungs, another important eliminator of body wastes, join in the body's quickened pace. (The lungs' rapid exchange of carbon dioxide for oxygen is hindered in some sweat baths. In high humidity water condenses on the tiny alveoli where this exchange takes place and breathing may be slightly more difficult. On the other hand, if the air is too dry, as occurs in many American saunas, mucous membranes may become dry and damaged.) Clogged respiratory passages are opened by heat, giving relief from colds and other minor respiratory problems. Sweat bathing is not recommended for those suffering from pneumonia or other acute respiratory diseases.