Most of us don't think about our heart much. As long as this mysterious beating organ is doing its job in keeping us alive and breathing we tend not to have cause to even give it a second thought. And yet we should give our heart health some thought as heart disease is not just a condition that strikes older people.
Like so many other diseases that used to be the sole domain of older people heart disease is now making a play for people of much younger ages that you would expect. Heart disease is the number one killer in the developed world and now accounts for 40% of all deaths.
One of the reasons that many people may ignore the possibility of developing this villain is that it is a gradual, lifelong process that people can not see or feel. Heart disease doesn't happen out of the blue and that is why you need to give the health of your heart the attention it deserves.
We used to think that if our blood pressure was raised it was just part of getting older, nothing we could do about it. But now we know that it is not caused by passing birthdays but is in fact an indicator of silently advancing disease.
This raised pressure is the cause of much of the trouble that leads to heart disease. It starts in the arteries, the tubes that carry the blood and allow it to flow to the body's organs, cells and tissues. Fatty deposits clog and narrow these tubes restricting blood flow and placing additional permanent strain on the heart system and damaging the walls of these plumbing pipes.
The best protection you can give yourself is to strengthen your whole body which includes the heart. After all this mother of all muscles responds to proper exercise just the same as every other muscle in your body ? it thrives on it, growing stronger and more efficient.
Taking the time to strengthen the heart is like buying health insurance. Instead of money paid the required premium is a regular installment of exercise. The type of exercise has to be right though to properly condition the heart. Strength training exercise is the magic bullet that will beef up the strength and resilience of the heart muscle protecting it from disease.
As your overall strength improves your heart will become more efficient and this can be measured by a reduced or slower resting heart rate. This is the number of heartbeats per minute taken when you first wake up and before you get up in the morning.
If you can reduce this number by 10 beats per minute and you will with increased fitness, each day you will save your heart approximately 14,000 beats per day. This is where you can get increased longevity from a proper exercise program which will not only add more active and productive years to your life but lots of life to your years.
To properly condition your heart the exercise program need to be performed at the correct level of intensity. Don't think a gentle stroll is going to do it as it won't even come close. Seek the help of a fitness professional so they can teach you correct exercise technique and also the correct level of intensity (degree of difficulty). This is important so that you get expected results and are not just hoping for them.
Strength training will make your muscles stronger so they can act like auxiliary pumps, their firmness helping squeeze blood back to the heart every time your move. This means there is less of a demand placed on the heart. This extra strength helps the heart function more efficiently when placed under a load such as lifting or carrying objects or during vigorous activity.
If you plan on living a long time and wish to be active and well beyond your eighties you need to take care of your 'ticker'. Don't just assume it is healthy just because it keeps on beating. Remember each time you workout at your exercise program it gets a workout as well. And this is the recipe to keep you and it strong and healthy.
Most people would have experienced that feeling that their day is just not going to get any better, even if they did wake up on the right side of the bed. I am one of those people when having worked diligently all week over different articles, I then find myself by the end of the week staring at a blank page not knowing what on earth to write next! This is the point whereby I switch my mind off and fantasize about a long break away at a luxury Caribbean hotel.
Whilst I was on the train to work, having been unsuccessful in obtaining a seat and being made to stand by the window that revealed a big mush of dull misty and grey scenery; I receive a text message from my best friend rambling on about her holiday in the Bahamas to which she will be leaving for tomorrow morning! I could not hide my envy and very quickly, my day turned from bearable to just plain depressing! The fantasy of a luxury Caribbean hotel is something I will have to make into a reality!
I have always wanted to take a nice trip to a hot climate in the middle of winter. It is a well-known scientific fact that taking vacations can have great benefits to your health, particularly for middle-aged men who are at risk of suffering from heart diseases. The overall number of men between the ages of 35 - 57 years had a much higher death rate than those who do take regular vacation breaks. Although I am not a middle-aged man, I can understand why my brain wanders off to the world of a luxury Caribbean hotel; maybe it was my body's way of saying 'You need a holiday!'
People who work in an environment causing high amounts of stress are often the ones to neglect their health and rarely monitor their eating and sleep patterns. They are also less likely to take holidays abroad, often without realising that they are causing damage to their health. Stress is thought to influence heart disease in different ways with many people resorting to more risky methods to relax, such as smoking or drinking an increased amount of alcohol.
Vacations can counteract these risky effects and can lower blood pressure through relaxation and plenty of resting. Studies have shown that men who take regular vacations reduce their risk of heart disease by as much as 30 percent, and reduce their overall risk of death to about 20 percent. It will come as no surprise then when research have also shown that those that do not take regular vacations are never rewarded anything extra for their hard work and dedication to their jobs.
Judging by the statistics one would think that taking regular holidays is a better option than working yourself to death! Yet those who do not even participate in leisurely activities are unaware of the number of years they are taking off from their life. It has even shown that those overworking themselves age quicker and appear older than those do make time for a holiday.
Wrinkles appear far more quickly on people who are more stressed. Often people who work too hard can gain weight and even risk skin and hair problems as they are less likely to take care of themselves. Those that do take time out for some R&R tend to look better feel better and live longer. So maybe perhaps if, like me, you have a longing feeling of escaping to a luxury Caribbean hotel or visit the Mediterranean, maybe for health reasons you should just make the jump temporarily and go!
Both Gen Wright & Anna Stenning are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Gen Wright has sinced written about articles on various topics from Terrier Dogs, Acne Treatment and Lose Weight. Do you want to discover the secret to rejuvenating your body and improving the quality of your life? Download my free ebook "I've Found the Fountain of Youth- Let Me Show You Too!" here:. Gen Wright's top article generates over 1220000 views. to your Favourites.
Anna Stenning has sinced written about articles on various topics from computers and the internet, Management and Wedding Gifts. Anna Stenning loves to visit and takes regular vacations to relax. If you are looking to take more time off to relax and go on vacations v. Anna Stenning's top article generates over 4090000 views. to your Favourites.