Motion Health & Fitness

Tag: heart health

  • Exercise Can Help Prevent and Treat High Blood Pressure

    Exercise Can Help Prevent and Treat High Blood Pressure

    Hypertension (aka, high blood pressure) is an epidemic in the United States, with nearly half of us affected by it.

    For decades, high blood pressure has been determined by a top reading of at least 140 and/or a bottom one of 90.
     
    However, a dozen medical groups have now dropped the threshold to 120 over 80.  Under these new guidelines, 46 percent of American adults have high blood pressure, according to the American Heart Association (AHA).
     
    The change has tripled the number of men under 45 and doubled the number of women under 45 with the diagnosis.
     
    Hypertension quietly damages blood vessels and leads to serious health problems. Left untreated, hypertension increases the risk of heart disease and stroke, which are the No. 1 and No. 5 causes of death in the US.
     
    Aside from heart attack/failure and stroke, high blood pressure can also lead to vision loss, kidney disease or failure, peripheral artery disease and sexual dysfunction.
     
    Symptoms of high blood pressure include dizziness, blurred/double vision, headache and neck pain. Some people also experience drowsiness and difficulty breathing. These problems often arise when the blood pressure is too high.
     
    However, since high blood pressure is a largely symptomless disease, millions of people are unaware that they have the condition. This is why hypertension is referred to as the “silent killer.” Many people with high blood pressure don’t even know they have it, according to the AHA.
     
    The only way to know if you have high blood pressure is to have your blood pressure tested. Though you can test your blood pressure at home with a store-bought arm cuff/monitor, a diagnosis of high blood pressure must be confirmed by a medical professional.
     
    Your blood pressure is recorded as two numbers. Systolic blood pressure (the upper number) indicates how much pressure your blood is exerting against your artery walls when your heart beats. Diastolic blood pressure (the lower number) indicates how much pressure your blood is exerting against your artery walls while your heart is resting between beats. These numbers measure millimeters of mercury, shown as mm Hg.
     
    Health professionals generally pay more attention to systolic blood pressure (the top number) as a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease for people over 50. In most people, systolic blood pressure rises steadily with age due to the increasing stiffness of large arteries, the long-term build-up of plaque and an increased incidence of cardiac and vascular disease.
     
    However, according to the AHA, elevated systolic or diastolic blood pressure alone may be used to make a diagnosis of high blood pressure. And, according to recent studies, the risk of death from ischemic heart disease and stroke doubles with every 20 mm Hg increase in systolic pressure or 10 mm Hg increase in diastolic pressure among people from age 40 to 89.
     
    The guidelines set new categories and get rid of “prehypertension”:
     
    • Normal: Under 120 / 80
     
    • Elevated: Top number 120-129 and bottom less than 80
     
    • Hypertension Stage 1: Top of 130-139 or bottom of 80-89
     
    • Hypertension Stage 2: Top at least 140 or bottom at least 90
     
    These new guidelines mean that 46 percent of U.S. adults have high pressure (stages 1 or 2).
     
    High blood pressure interacts with other major risk factors, such as diabetes and high levels of cholesterol, to amplify the risk of heart attack and stroke. Treatment for hypertension must begin early to prevent organ damage.
     
    High blood pressure develops slowly over time and can progressively worsen with age. Roughly half the people with untreated hypertension die of heart disease related to poor blood flow (ischemic heart disease) and another third die of stroke, according to the Mayo Clinic.
     
    While there is no cure for hypertension, changes in lifestyle can help you lower your blood pressure and keep it down.
     
    Remember that drinking more than moderate amounts of alcohol can raise blood pressure by several points, while also reducing the effectiveness of blood pressure medications.
     
    Using tobacco can also cause your blood pressure to increase and can contribute to damaged arteries. Too much stress may also contribute to increased blood pressure.
     
    Carrying too much weight puts an extra strain on your heart and circulatory system, which can cause serious health problems. Excess weight also increases your risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and high blood pressure. Losing just 10 pounds can help reduce your blood pressure.
     
    Maintain a healthy weight by eating a nutritious diet, rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products, but low in salt, saturated fat and cholesterol.
     
    Consistent exercise is also vital to lowering blood pressure and maintaining good health. Physical activity not only helps control high blood pressure and manage your weight, it also helps you strengthen your heart and lower your stress level. A healthy weight, a strong heart and general emotional health are all good for your blood pressure.
     
    Regular physical activity makes your heart stronger. If your heart works less to pump blood, the force on your arteries decreases, lowering your blood pressure. Exercise also lowers blood pressure by alleviating blood vessel stiffness so that blood flows more freely. Regular exercise can lower your systolic blood pressure by an average of 4 to 9 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg).
     
    On the other hand, inadequate physical activity increases your risk of developing high blood pressure. It can’t be overstated that physical activity is great for your heart and circulatory system, including blood pressure. It’s important to be consistent because if you stop exercising, your blood pressure can rise again.
     
    If you have slightly high blood pressure (prehypertension), exercise can help you avoid developing full-blown hypertension. If you already have hypertension, regular physical activity can bring your blood pressure down to safer levels.
     
    To improve overall cardiovascular health, the American Heart Association, the Surgeon General and the CDC all suggest at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity exercise, or 75 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity exercise, or an equivalent combination of both. The easiest way to think of it is 30 minutes per day, at least five days per week.
     
    The best types of exercise for lowering blood pressure include walking, jogging, cycling, swimming or even dancing. Strength training can also help reduce blood pressure.
     
    The important thing is to find activities that you enjoy. Then get in motion and stay in motion.
  • What are Your Resting, Maximum and Target Exercise Heart Rates?

    What are Your Resting, Maximum and Target Exercise Heart Rates?

    People often ask me what a normal heart rate is. In adults, resting heart rate ranges from 60 to 100 beats per minute (BPM). Heart rate varies with age, the amount of physical activity a person engages (fitness level) and/or the presence of heart disease.
     
    Generally, a lower heart rate at rest implies more efficient heart function and better cardiovascular fitness. For example, a well-trained athlete might have a resting heart rate closer to 40 BPM.
     
    Regular exercise improves the heart’s ability to pump the same amount of blood with less effort, which naturally decreases the resting heart rate.
     
    A sedentary adult may have a resting heart rate of 70 to 80 BPM, while an adult who performs regular physical activity might have a resting heart rate of 50 to 60 BPM.
     
    The following table shows the normal resting heart rate for men:
      
    between 18 and 25 years between 26 and 35 years between 36 and 45 years
    Excellent 49-55 bpm 49-54 bpm 54-59 bpm
    Good 57-61 bpm 57-61 bpm 60 to 62 bpm
    Below average 71 to 73 bpm 72 to 74 bpm 73-76 bpm

    The following table shows the normal resting heart rate for women:

    between 18 and 25 years between 26 and 35 years between 36 and 45 years
    Excellent 54 to 60 bpm 54-59 bpm 54-59 bpm
    Good 61 to 56 bpm 60 to 64 bpm 62 to 64 bpm
    Below average 74 to 78 bpm 75 to 76 bpm 74 to 78 bpm
    Your maximum heart rate (MHR) is genetically fixed and declines over time, as you age. It does not change as you become more or less fit.
     
    Maximum heart rate does not determine your fitness level; being able to sustain your MHR for longer and longer periods does.
     
    Only a highly motivated and very fit individual is able to reach their maximum heart rate while exercising, and even they can only do it for for a couple of minutes at a time — tops. These individuals have the ability to tolerate great discomfort and even pain.
     
    An untrained, unfit individual may find that basic tasks, such as walking, are highly taxing. These people are unfamiliar with the notion of exercising at, or near, maximum heart rate. As a result, they may find that exercising at even 75 percent of maximum is very strenuous and might confuse that with their maximum.
     
    A fit person is able to tolerate longer periods of exercise at their maximum heart rate than an unfit person, and he/she also requires a higher intensity of exercise to achieve their MHR than an unfit person.
     
    So, how do you calculate your maximum heart rate? The equation that has long been used is 220 – age = maximum heart rate (MHR). However, that formula has long been known to be inaccurate since it was derived from young athletes, who do not represent the general population. A revised formula for MHR is 208 – 0.7 (age).
     
    For example:
     
    • The MHR a 30-year-old is 208 – 0.7 x 30 = 187 beats per minute.
     
    • The MHR for a 40-year-old is 208 – 0.7 x 40 = 180 beats per minute.
     
    • The MHR for a 50-year-old is 208 – 0.7 x 50 = 173 beats per minute.
    Determining your target training heart rate also varies according to age and fitness level. Most people will exercise at a target heart rate that ranges from 50 percent to 85 percent of their maximum heart rate.
     
    For example, if you want to exercise at 80 percent of your maximum heart rate, multiply your maximum by .80. For a 40-year-old, the target heart rate would be 180 x .80, or 144 beats per minute.
     
    The American Heart Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend the following target heart rate guidelines:
     
    • Moderate exercise intensity: 50 to 70 percent of your maximum heart rate
    • Vigorous exercise intensity: 70 to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate

    The American College of Sports Medicine provides its own guidelines: 

     

    • Beginners — 50 to 65 percent of maximum heart rate
    • Intermediate level exercisers — 60 to 75 percent of maximum heart rate
    • Established aerobic exercisers — 70 to 85 percent of maximum heart rate
    It should be noted that maximum heart rate is a predicted number and many people (more than 40 percent of patients, according to one cardiologist, who spoke to the NY Times) can get their heart rates to more than 100 percent of their predicted maximum. Some people’s maximum heart rate can be as much as 15 to 20 beats per minute higher than the predicted maximum.
     
    Using a heart rate monitor (which has become quite prevalent) is a great way to gauge your heart rate while exercising.
     
    If you don’t have a heart monitor, you can simply use Rated Perceived Exertion. The RPE scale, which ranges from 0 – 10, is used to measure the intensity of your exercise.
     
    For example, 0 equates to no exertion at all, or how you feel when sitting in a chair; 10 is very, very intense, or how you feel at the end of an exercise stress test or after a very strenuous activity.
     
    The Cleveland Clinic offers this explanation:
     
    2 – Light
    3 – Moderate
    4 – Somewhat heavy
    5 – Heavy
    6 – Heavy 
    7 – Very heavy
     
    In most cases, you should exercise at a level perceived as 3 (moderate) to 4 (somewhat heavy). If you’re doing interval training, an RPE of at least 7 would be appropriate. 
     
    No matter what you do or how you measure it…. Get in Motion. Stay in Motion.
  • Why Cardiovascular / Aerobic Exercise Is So Vital to Everyone

    Why Cardiovascular / Aerobic Exercise Is So Vital to Everyone

    Cardiovascular endurance is considered one of the 5 parameters of fitness (the others being muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility and body composition).

    As you might imagine, this makes cardiovascular exercise — which most people simply call “cardio” — vital to everyone’s exercise program. 
     
    So, how much cardio do you need?
     
    According to the Physical Activity Guidelines, released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, adults need at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity, aerobic, physical activity each week; or 75 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity, aerobic, physical activity; or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic activity. 
     
    The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) concurs. The ACSM recommends that adults accumulate at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity at least five days per week for basic fitness. If you up the ante to vigorous exercise intensity, 30 minutes three days per week it will also get the job done. 
     
    While that’s enough to keep your heart healthy, it may not be enough to promote weight loss. The Institute of Medicine advises Americans to get an hour of physical activity a day to control their weight.    
     
    Due to the prevalence of obesity and overweight in the US — a whopping 70 percent of Americans are overweight or obese — many people think of cardiovascular exercise merely as a means to lose weight. However, even those with an ideal, healthy body weight need to regularly perform cardio to maintain good health and prevent disease.
     
    The cardiovascular system, in particular, needs to be exercised regularly to maintain optimum health. It’s about being healthy from the inside out, not just looking good on the outside. 
     
    Exercises, such as walking, running, cycling, swimming or some other form of aerobic exercise, will all stimulate the cardiovascular system, but intensity matters. Obviously, the heart isn’t strengthened as much, and doesn’t make as much adaptation, by walking at 3.5 mph as it does when running at 7 mph.
     
    Ultimately, there is a difference between being fit and being healthy. Being fit is a much stricter standard.
     
    Choose activities that you enjoy. The results will be essentially the same. Studies show that a 10-15 week program of cycling, swimming or running, done 5 days per week, 30 minutes per session, at 70% heart-rate reserve (HRR), will result in comparable improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness.
     
    Let’s look at the benefits of regular aerobic exercise:
     
    – Weight loss or maintenance (healthy body composition) 
     
    MEN:
    Healthy = 18-24% body fat 
    Fit = 14-17% body fat 
    Essential = 2-5% body fat
    WOMEN:
    Healthy = 25-31% body fat 
    Fit = 21-24% body fat 
    Essential = 10-13% body fat
     
    An exercise program conducted 3 times per week, burning 300-400 cals per session, could result in a 16-pound weight loss in one year.
     
    – Decreased appetite in some people
     
    – Reduces the risks of coronary artery disease
     
     A six-year study released in September, 2002 showed that for middle-aged or older women, walking, or an equal amount of more strenuous exercise, for 2 1/2 hours per week (5 days x 30 mins.) can cut heart disease and stroke risk by just over one third.
     
    – Increases levels of HDLs (healthy cholesterol) and decreases levels of LDLs (unhealthy cholesterol)
     
    – Decreases triglycerides (blood fats)
     
    – Lower resting heart rate:
    • Men average about 70 beats per minute
    • Women average about 75 beats per minute
      
    – Decreases blood pressure:  
    <120/80 = normal
    120-129/<80 = elevated
    130-139/80-89 = Stage 1 hypertension
    140 or above/90 or above = Stage 2 hypertension
     
    – Increases the sensitivity of cells to insulin and reduces blood glucose levels. This is a critical part of the treatment program for diabetics.
     
    – Weight bearing exercises (running, brisk walking) strengthen the skeletal system, reducing the chances of osteoporosis, which is characterized by reduced bone mass and increased susceptibility to fractures. This occurs more commonly in women over 45 and affects an estimated 15-20 million Americans.
     
    – Increases joint range of motion. Frequently part of the treatment for those with arthritis. Flexibility is developed primarily up to and between the ages of 7-12 and begins to decline after adolescence, accelerating after the age of 25 (unless otherwise maintained) 
     
    Why Aerobic Exercise Works
     
    Regular aerobic exercise can lead to increased cardiovascular endurance due to the following factors:
     
    – Increased lactate threshold (the time when your muscles start to burn and fatigue)
     
    – Increase of ATP (fuel) in mitochondria, the cell’s power plant or engine
     
    – Increase in the number and size of mitochondria
     
    In short, you can become a high-performance, human machine.
     
    Working out in the “fat-burning zone” is not the most efficient way to lose weight. As exercise intensity increases, the body burns less and less fat and more and more carbohydrates. That’s why some people say it’s best to work out at low to moderate intensities, in the so-called “fat-burning zone.” But when it comes to weight loss, what matters most is how many total calories you burn. High-intensity exercise burns the most calories.
     
    That said, even brisk walking is enough to keep your heart healthy. Exercise doesn’t have to be strenuous to be beneficial. Studies show that moderate physical activity – such as a half-hour of brisk walking or swimming – on most days of the week can help fight off heart disease and lower your risk of diabetes and some cancers, among other health benefits.
     
    However, while walking is good for your overall health, it may not burn enough calories to help you lose a substantial amount of weight. Nor will it get you a well-toned, sculpted body. 
     
    To get buff, you’ll need to add resistance training to your workout regimen. Yet, even with a good cardio and strength program, you may never look like a swimsuit model (good genes and airbrushing help in that regard), but you can slim down and firm up. 
     
    The most important thing is to improve your health, so that your doctor says you look as good from the inside as you do on the outside.