Healthy Heart

Today's post is for everyone. Regardless of where you are on your health and fitness goals, our hearts are our lifeline. A heart should be the strongest muscle in the body where it has to work so hard. Lets break it down into a couple of main areas. With Valentines Day quickly approaching I am sure that all of us have seen the commercials and advertisements. It is one day that we can show how much we are grateful for our loved ones. I would like to propose a week, and then a month, and then a year, and then a lifetime of focus on the heart. There are so many factors that go into a healthy heart. Lets speak about one per night for the next couple of nights to get everyone ready for Valentines Day. Ok a normal heart beats approximately 100,000 times per day. Here is an easy formula for all of us to figure out our personal beat, Take the pulse/heart rate, or beats per minute, and multiply by 60. The multiplier 60 converts the beats per minute to beats per hour. Take that answer and multiply by 24. The multiplier 24 converts beats per hour to beats per 24 hour day..... Exercise helps a heart, along with eating habits, mental health, cholesterol, blood flow, blood pressure, weight, etc.... Exercise could be the most important part of the equation. The heart is a muscle and should be worked effectively to build the muscle. Simple tips are walking, taking the stairs, parking a little further so as to walk a little further. What I will suggest is not only these things and those that we will discuss during the next couple of days; but it is to start working the muscle daily. There are many things that can work the heart, but not many like a jog or brisk walk, or a run. The activities are called cardiovascular for a reason. They get your heart going. The key is to get your heart rate up and going. Other suggestions are to dance, clean the house, run stairs, play outside with your kids, or you be the kid. When was the last time that you ran full speed down a hill and tumbled wildly into summer salts? It has been awhile for me too and judging by the spelling, one might think not at all. The point is, Get off your butt and go and do something. It is so easy to watch T.V., surf the web, or just chillax. Do something, anything, because as we all know. Heart disease is increasing rapidly. From the food you eat to our inactivity, everything seems to be against us. Exercise however, is on our side. Remember there are a lot of people who can do things for you, but exercise is not one of them. Let this be the post that gives you the motivation to go and do something. Get your heart rate up and be consistent. There are many forms of motivation, let life be the biggest motivating factor for you. All of us can have a healthier heart, so make a commitment to yourself to make yours as strong as possible. All of us have people who rely upon us, and to not exercise only increases our chances of problems. Start today and exercise. "I heart exercise". Pass the torch to everyone you know and lets make a healthier world today.