So it’s a cold, grey day in my part of the world. After a busy morning getting a strong training session in and some always necessary house work, and then working on some of my other fun projects ( revamping old furniture) I decided I deserved some coffee and writing time.
My training though, it’s hard to take myself outside to the building I use on cold mornings ’cause like, it has no heat.
This can work in my favor in several ways. Usually, it means I get out there and get moving with some cardio to get my blood stirring so I warm up fast.
Today I decided some time spent boxing should do the trick to get me warmed up. It always works….
Toss some angry music in my ear, add my well worn pink gloves, 20 minutes later I’m in a full sweat, cold air and all.
Oh. Wait.
What cold?
So the boxing warmed me up for 45 minutes of strength training, i.e. muscle building time. I might mention though, all those solid metal weights, not much warms them up when you first grab hold of them!
Overall, a nice strong training session.
That boxing though, it’s a form of cardio that I love for a variety of reasons. Like, I can punch something as hard as I want and not get in trouble haha. It can be very, very good therapy.
But lets not forget its great upper body and core workout too, but it also has great benefits for getting the heart working hard. We can forget that those internal muscles of our heart and lungs need strong training as much as our arms and legs, well, actually they need it more.
That’s what I wanna talk about today… our heart and exercise and some other stuff too.
Here in the states, February is heart month.
However, I’m thinking if you’re reading this you’re alive, which means you have a beating heart, and it needs proper care so wherever you are in this world, you can read this too.
Let’s look at some facts….
Yeah, yeah, you know I’m gonna offer up some facts here, don’t you? Maybe you’ve seen “facts” in your own family if you have loved ones who’ve suffered or do suffer with heart disease.
But do you know, heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the U.S. ?
And do you also know that it’s preventable ? Making heart healthy choices, knowing your family history, knowing risk factors you have, and having regular check ups are all a part of proactively caring for your heart.
Heart disease (which includes Heart Disease, Stroke and other Cardiovascular Diseases) is the No. 1 cause of death in the United States.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for people of most racial/ethnic groups in the United States, including African Americans, Hispanics and Whites. For Asian Americans or Pacific Islanders and American Indians or Alaska Natives, heart disease is second only to cancer
Cardiovascular diseases claim more lives than all forms of cancer combined
Coronary heart disease is the most common type of heart disease, killing nearly 380,000 people annually
In the United States, someone has a heart attack every 34 seconds. Every 60 seconds, someone in the United States dies from a heart disease-related event.
Direct and indirect costs of heart disease total more than $320.1 billion. That includes health expenditures and lost productivity.
Women and heart disease….
Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women and is more deadly than all forms of cancer combined.
Every minute, approximately one woman dies from heart disease.
Only 1 in 5 American women believe that heart disease is her greatest health threat
An estimated 6.6 million women alive today in the U.S. have coronary heart disease.
90% of women have one or more risk factors for developing heart disease or stroke. This stat is sobering for yours truly sitting here writing this. As a woman who feels she leads a healthy lifestyle, eats well, exercises often and has a low family history, the idea of being in the 10% of no risk is perhaps slim.
The symptoms of heart disease can be different in women and men and are often misunderstood.
Men and women are not the same when it comes to heart disease.
Well gosh, thanks for all this good news….
Remember earlier, I said this was a preventable disease? Unfortunately, our lifestyles can be one of the biggest problems for developing heart disease. A high fat, processed diet lacking good quality heart healthy foods and inactivity are often the culprits to heart problems.
Those things, we can make changes on in our lives. We can begin to exchange foods that aren’t so great for heart health for ones that are. We can put on shoes and start walking each day. Almost everyone has the ability to walk. Start there, but just start moving. Do it at least 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week.
You get a gold star if you do more 😉
Failure to exercise (walking or doing other moderate activities for at least 30 minutes five days a week or more vigorous workouts at least 20 minutes three times a week) can contribute to an increased risk of coronary heart disease as physical activity helps control weight, cholesterol levels, diabetes and, in some cases, can help lower blood pressure.
Find some posts I’ve done on exercise here if you need some more reading material…https://sassyfitnesschick.com/2016/08/03/so-you-hate-exercise/
https://sassyfitnesschick.com/2015/05/25/does-exercise-have-benefits/
Adopt a diet low in salt, saturated and transfats and high in unsaturated fats (fish, avocado, etc.) I don’t talk about specific “diets” but I did a review comparing two, one I can endorse as practical, livable and good for you. Find it here….https://sassyfitnesschick.com/2017/07/21/keto-and-dash-diet-review/
Maintain a normal body weight with caloric adjustment
Avoid smoking and recreational drug use
Have no more than ½ to 1 alcoholic beverage per day.
Know and review your risk factors with a trusted physician. Your physician may recommend medications to control cholesterol, hypertension and diabetes.
Know and understand your family history. Next to your personal care of yourself, this will help you assess any potential problems that are out of your control.
People who are overweight are more likely to develop heart disease and stroke, even if they have none of the other risk factors. Excess weight causes extra strain on the heart; influences blood pressure, cholesterol and levels of other blood fats – including triglycerides; and increases the risk of developing diabetes. 66% of Americans over age 20 are obese.
If you have diabetes be aware that the condition seriously increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, even if glucose levels are under control. More than 80% of diabetes sufferers die of some form of heart or blood vessel disease.
With all that being said
By maintaining a heart healthy diet, doing active vigorous exercise, knowing your family history and having regular checkups you can be sure to keep your heart in the best shape you can.
So when you’re out there exercising and your heart is beating strongly in your chest, appreciate all it does for you and continue to show it love back by doing things to keep it healthy and well.
What do you do to keep your heart strong and healthy?
sassyfitnesschick 