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Heart Happy
by author Tanya Rouble

Place your hand in the middle of your chest. Sit very still and be quiet. Can you feel that? The steady yet tireless beat of your heart. From the moment you are born until your last moment here on earth, your heart will work continuously without ever pausing to rest. On average, it will beat more than two-and-a-half billion times over the course of your life. It is an important and intricate piece of the human puzzle–yet often ignored, neglected and taken for granted. Perhaps it is time to take notice of this vital part of your machinery and learn how to keep it in optimal working condition.

Use It or Lose It

Your heart must be challenged on a regular basis. It is a muscle and, like any other muscle in the body, the more it is used, the stronger it becomes. And, also like other muscles, a stronger heart will also be more efficient at doing its job. Cardiovascular exercise or aerobic exercise (this does not mean aerobic classes only) is the best type of movement to ensure you keep your heart healthy and strong. This type of activity is rhythmic, repetitive, uses large muscle groups such as those in your legs, and challenges the circulatory system by increasing blood flow to the muscles. Some examples include walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, dancing, stair-climbing, cross-country skiing, hiking and inline skating.

A Quick Anatomy Lesson

When your body is asked to move for an extended period of time, your muscles require large amounts of oxygen to keep them moving. Your blood carries the oxygen, brought in by your lungs, to the moving muscles. Your heart is the "motor" behind this system. As the demand for oxygen increases, it beats faster to circulate blood more quickly. When you frequently challenge your heart in this way, you increase cardiovascular fitness and build a stronger, more efficient heart.

It is recommended to engage in cardiovascular exercise daily or almost daily for 20 to 60 minutes in total. The debate continues as to whether this amount of time needs to be done all at once or if it can be broken into shorter intervals and added up over the course of the day. Recent research shows that smaller increments of activity, such as three 10-minute bouts, has great benefit in the grand scheme of things and can help to decrease the chances of heart disease and related health conditions. It is important to gear your cardiovascular routine toward what is ideal for your lifestyle, time availability and personal abilities. If you are unable to move for 30 minutes at a time, then smaller amounts of time would be acceptable for you. This is one of those areas in life where a little bit is better than nothing at all.

Keep Things Well-Rounded

Cardiovascular exercise is a very important form of movement to promote heart health, but it shouldn’t be your only form of exercise. A healthy heart is ideal, but what good is it if the rest of the "machine" isn’t in optimal working order? To keep things well rounded, your fitness strategy should also include strength-building exercises and movements that promote flexibility. When your muscles are strong, you are able to push, pull and carry with greater ease. You are also less likely to become over-tired or injured when performing tasks of daily living such as getting out of a car, rising from the floor or reaching under furniture for a lost treasure.

The Big Picture

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Tanya Rouble is a certified personal trainer and fitness instructor with more than nine years of experience. She is the founder of several community-based exercise programs and works closely with other health-care professionals and the public to promote the benefits of regular exercise. She lives in Ridgeway, Ont. E-mail: rouble2@sprint.ca. Web: troublefit.com

Source: alive #244, February 2003

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