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The Heart Truth: Exercise For A Healthy Heart
 Valentines Day has just passed and it makes you think
of those close to your heart. When it comes to those
you love, the health of our heart is very important.
Did you know that in Australia the number one cause of
death is Heart Disease? The largest contributing factor
is living an inactive lifestyle; fortunately this is
something that we can all change.
Participating in regular exercise
can:
- Strengthen the heart and cardiovascular system
- Help to blood pressure
- Improve the circulation of oxygen within your body
- Help you do more without being so tired or short
or breath
- Improve sleep
- Help to control weight and assist with weight loss
- Reduces tension, stress, anxiety and depression
- Improves tone and the strength of your muscles
- Strengthens your bones
- Help you feel more relaxed and rested
Did you know that regular exercise can help you to avoid
serious health problems, this includes heart attacks!
Exercise could potentially save your life! Medication
can not even provide all of the benefits that are listed
above. An especially structured and supervised exercise
program will help to improve your health as well as your
quality of life.
Make sure that you book in for an appointment with your
doctor before you start exercising, especially if you
are suffering from a medical condition or are taking
medication.
Do's and Don'ts of Safe Exercise
It is recommended that you start your exercise routine
gradually and work your way up to doing around 20 to
30 minutes of activity three to four times a week. The
Australian Heart Foundation actually recommends that
you should work your way up to being able to exercise
most days of the week. Call us, City Health Professionals
and we can get you started on the right exercise plan
tailored especially for you. We can help you work your
way up to an effective and safe exercise program. Make
sure you always warm-up and cool-down before and after
exercising.
Warming up will help your body
raise its core temperature and get the muscles ready
for exercise.
After warming up, your heart functions more effectively
and your muscles are much more flexible. Warming up also
helps to reduce the risk of injury to the body. When
you are warming up, you should begin by starting out
with low intensity exercise or stretching for 5 to 10
minutes.
You should monitor your heart rate and intensity; make
sure you don’t overdo it. If you are not sure how
to monitor your heart rate and intensity call us here
at City Health Professionals, we can
book a one on one appointment for you and guide you every
step of the way.
Make sure that you end your exercise
session with a cool-down period of around 5 to 10 minutes
of a low intensity exercise, like walking.
This will help your heart and body to recover and brings
your heart rate and blood pressure back down to the normal
resting level.
Supervision and Precautions
 If you have experienced heart trouble or had any symptoms
of heart failure in the past it is very important for
you to take special precautions when you exercise. You
will need visit your doctor to obtain an exercise clearance
and you may need to undergo some tests to ensure that
you will be able to exercise safely. To help ensure that
you are exercising safely and effectively you should
also consider exercising under the supervision of a health
professional. Make sure that you rest when you feel you
need to.
Exercises that are associated with breath holding or
excessive straining should be avoided such as push-ups
and sit-ups
Avoid exercises like push-ups and sit ups as these types
of exercises are normally associated with breath holding
and excessive straining. These types of exercises are
known as the Valsalva Maneuver, they can instantaneously
increase your blood pressure. Make sure that you always
listen to your body and don’t hold your breath.
If it is very hot, cold or humid outside, try to exercise
indoors instead. Extreme temperatures can and make you
feel short of breath or tired very quickly.
After you exercise make sure to avoid saunas or having
an extremely hot or cold shower. The shock to the body
from the extreme temperatures can increase the pressure
on the heart. If possible try to avoid exercise in hilly
areas. If you can not avoid this, walk slowly uphill
to avoid working the heart too hard and be sure to monitor
your heart rate. If you have had a break from exercising
for more than a few days make sure that you slowly ease
back into your routine.
Word of Caution
Stop exercising immediately if you experience
any of the following:
- Any pain or pressure in your chest, shoulder, arm,
jaw or neck
- Dizziness
- Pain in the chest
- Weakness
- Unexplained swelling or weight gain (call your doctor
asap)
- Anything else that is concerning you
If you don’t pay attention to your body and ignore
the warning signs you may place too much stress on your
heart. If these symptoms continue, call and make an appointment
to see your doctor immediately. Your heart is a critical
part of your long term health, you owe it to yourself
and those you love to ensure you seek the expert guidance
of our health professionals to monitor your exercise
program. Doing this will ensure that your heart is functioning
effectively and help to improve the quality of your life.
Your health and wellbeing is most important.
Call Central City Health Professionals Today on 08 9421 1733 today and let us show how we can help you.
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