February is
American Heart Month! Taking great care of your heart (and the rest of your body) begins in
the kitchen. Smart strategies to protect your heart health while cooking
include avoiding saturated and trans-fats, including omega rich fats instead.
To learn some quick tips, check out
25 Heart Healthy Cooking Tips from Eat Right (www.eatright.org) that you can try today!
Check out more information on keeping your heart healthy below.
Heart healthy Exercise
Often CCH Health Coaches are asked what exercise is the best and although
the answer varies somewhat based on needs and wants, it always comes back
to getting your heart pumping. Every day our hearts beat over 100,000
times. You would think that would be enough in and of itself, but your
heart needs to be challenged to thrive.
To keep your heart in tip-top shape (along with the rest of your body)
a blend of strength, cardio and stretching is recommended. All activity
can help to reduce blood pressure, improve cholesterol and burn extra
calories. Specific kinds of activity are better for accomplishing different
goals, such as:
-
Aerobic Exercise helps the body to use insulin better, makes your heart and bones strong,
improves circulation and reduces the risk of heart disease by lowering
blood pressure, blood sugar and improving cholesterol.
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Strength Training makes the body more sensitive to insulin and can lower blood glucose. It
also helps to build strong muscles and bones, reducing the risk of osteoporosis
and bone fractures. And the more muscle you have, the more calories you
burn, even when you're resting!
-
Stretching is the final piece in the fitness puzzle as gentle stretching can reduce
pain and risk of injury, improves circulation and can even reduce stress.
At least 30 minutes of daily activity is recommended, five times a week.
Any combination of activity will help you to improve the function of your
heart! If you have specific goals, the majority of your effort should
be geared to that goal. For example, if you would like to increase your
strength, you should focus on lifting weights and cardio could include
walking hills, rather than a flat road.
PS: For more information about intensity, be sure to read
Measuring Exercise Intensity.
Work It!
This heart healthy circuit will help you to tone your body, including the
largest muscle group (your glutes) while increasing your cardio and core
strength. Do this circuit anywhere, home, hotel—no weights needed!
Begin by doing 1-2 rounds of each exercise for 1 minute of work with 1
minute of rest between each exercise. Eventually work up to 5 rounds with
60 seconds of work and 30 seconds of rest between each exercise, for a
grand total of about 42 minutes.
Have Questions?
Campbell County Health
Wellness works to reduce health risks and promote overall wellness among employee
groups and individuals across the northeastern Wyoming region. To learn
more about Wellness, please visit
www.cchwyo.org/Wellness or call 307.688.8051.
This blog was written by Rachel Wilde, CPT, MA, CCH Wellness Services Technician
and Phlebotomist