I have a lot of reasons for wanting to lose weight. Right up at the top of the list is be with my family. To be there to watch my children grow up. To spend quality time with my wife. To enjoy all of the great things that come with this wonderful life.
I was reading about heart attacks online and found a great resource. St Jude Medical, Inside Cardiac Arrest. They provide information about the risk factors, warning signs, and treatment of Sudden Cardiac Arrest. It also had a couple of videos explaining cardiac arrest and the anatomy of the heart (http://www.insidecardiacarrest.com/video_suddencardiacarrest.aspx and http://www.insidecardiacarrest.com/video_humanheart.aspx.
Given both my current weight (360 at last Friday’s weight in) and my body shape (I carry a lot of my fat in the mid section aka belly fat), I am at risk of sudden cardiac arrest aka a heart attack.
Did you know that sudden cardiac arrest kills 325,000 people a year - or nearly 900 per day? Usually without warning and if you don’t get help in the 1st 4 to 6 minutes it can be fatal.
So, enough of the morbid talk… My apologizes for those with a weak disposition. Having learned more about heart attacks and sudden cardiac arrest I am convinced more now that ever that it is time for me to lose the weight and get into shape for the rest of my life.
Hoping you are have a great day… I plan on swimming and maybe playing some volleyball (although it is supposed to be 100 degrees today so maybe I will just swim.)
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If you want to get on the road to a healthy and full life, you need to focus not only on losing weight, but also doing exercises that are going to benefit your most powerful organ, your heart. It may be tough at first, but it’s important that you don’t get discouraged. Start out slow and keep your goals in mind. Whether you need to reduce your cholesterol or lower your blood pressure, combining these tips with a healthy diet can get your body and your heart back in shape. Just make sure to hydrate!
Run
Let’s get started with the first exercise that is probably the best for your heart. Running combines all of the essential ingredients into one exercise. You’re getting your heart rate up, you’re using all of your muscles and you’re building endurance. The problem is, if you’re pretty out of shape, running can be very difficulty. For those with knee problems or joint issues, running may not be an option. However, there are low impact ways that you can still get the benefits of running without hurting yourself.
Walk
Start out by walking for ten minutes at a slow pace. After this period of time elapses, walk fast for five minutes. Go back to walking slow for ten and this time, when you’re done, jog for five minutes. This is the easiest way to start burning calories and just about anyone can do it. After the five minutes of jogging are done, go back to walking slowly for ten minutes. Repeat until about an hour has gone by. You’ll have gotten your heart rate up and you’ll have burned plenty of calories. You can gradually start increasing the amounts of running time as you get stronger.
Aerobic Workout
Next, aerobic exercise is also well suited for keeping your heart healthy. Again, you’re probably going to need to start off slowly. It may be a bit difficult at first, but you can gradually increase your workout times to around 30 to 45 minutes a day. That’s your target goal, but if you think you can do more, go for it! By reaching your target heart rate every day, you’ll be not only helping your heart, but you’ll also be improving your metabolism.
Swim
If neither of these sound like something you want to try, or you have joint problems, the next best thing to do is to try aerobic swim classes. Your joints won’t have the stress and you’ll still be working that heart muscle. You can usually find a water aerobics class at most gyms or even at your local YMCA. If you can’t find one, just go to your indoor pool at the gym and try some exercises on your own. It’s a lot easier to get started in water and you’ll be able to build up your strength a lot quicker.
Your heart is the most vital organ you have and you need to treat it right. The good news is, even after a lifetime of abusing it, getting started on an exercise plan right now can help you undo that damage and provide you with some great benefits as well.
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