With all the
heart shaped goodies and signs around on Valentine’s Day, we are served an
important reminder to take an active role in keeping our hearts healthy. There is little argument on the importance of
a healthy heart, however developing strategies to meet this goal can be more
difficult. Proper nutrition and activity
levels are both key components in keeping your heart working its best. Nutritional recommendations are very
individualized and vary based on age, weight, current eating habits, and other
medical conditions. If you have specific
questions regarding nutritional recommendations do not hesitate to contact our dietician to discuss an individualized plan of action. When planning to achieve proper activity
levels, it is important to remember that keeping your heart healthy does not
require hours at a gym and can be achieved through simple lifestyle changes. Although Midwest weather makes it more
difficult to be active outside during these winter months, there are plenty of
ways to stay active without having to battle the outdoor elements. The majority of us have the destructive habit
of sitting way too much. One of the best
ways to avoid this and maintain a healthy heart, without even having to touch a
machine, is by walking more. There are
plenty of devices out there for counting steps taken throughout the day to monitor
how many you are taking which can be a great way to track progress. If you choose this option, there is no magic
number of steps to aim for. Pick a goal
number, and once you are able to achieve that every day for a week or two try
increasing the goal. Although it’s easy
to take a walk outside or at the park in the summer months, going to a local
mall or store and taking laps around are other options to increase steps while
staying warm if you do not belong to a gym.
Other ways to increase activity can be performed in the comfort of your
own home. Make it a habit whenever
you’re watching TV to stand-up at each commercial and take a lap around the
house, go up and down the stairs once or twice, or perform 5-10 squats. This option is only limited by your own
creativity so find something that fits you!
There are also
plenty of other alternatives to conventional exercise that do not involve
staring at the calorie counter on cardio machines and wondering why the time
seems to be standing still. People that
prefer exercise classes and a group atmosphere would benefit from a course such
as Yoga or Pilates. The benefits of
these can address heart health, but also go above and beyond by addressing
strength, mobility, balance, and body awareness as well. If aches and pains are preventing you from
exercising, please stop in for a complimentary injury screening to address any
physical limitations that are preventing you from reaching your target activity
levels. Whatever way you decide to be
more active, make sure you have a plan to achieve your goals and get started
right now!
Happy hearts day
to all,
Dave Paczkowski, PT, DPT
TheraCORE Clinic Locations
350 E. Ogden Ave., Ste. 200 16622 W. 159th St., Ste. 503
Westmont, IL 60559 Lockport, IL 60441
(630)908-7430 (815)838-5070
www.theracorept.com
TheraCORE Clinic Locations
350 E. Ogden Ave., Ste. 200 16622 W. 159th St., Ste. 503
Westmont, IL 60559 Lockport, IL 60441
(630)908-7430 (815)838-5070
www.theracorept.com
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