Your heart is a muscle that is located on the left side of your chest and is about the size of your fist. It sends blood thoughout your body, providing it with the proper nutrients and oxygen that it needs. The heart is also made up of four different blood filled areas which are called chambers. Each side of the heart contains two of these chambers that are used primarily to send blood to your lungs. This is why the need of cardiovascular exercise is important because the more blood being transferred from your lungs to your heart, the more calories you are burning.
A person`s heart rate in an exact measurement can and will determine one`s fat loss progress. With physical activity, the heart rate increases to supply the muscles with more oxygen so that the body produces more energy. The heart can beat up to two-hundred times per minute and the brain controls this rate by sending nerve signals to the heart. The rate in which a person`s heart beats depends on intensity of exercise, activity levels, and genetics. There is no “one size fits all” average for heart rate, it will vary on the individual.
A person`s resting heart rate is simply the number of times that your heart beats while resting. The average resting heart rate is anywhere from fifty-five to eighty-five beats per minute. Your resting heart rate gets higher as you get older and is lower with physically fit people. Athletes sometimes measure their resting heart rate as one way of finding out if they have overtrained. Measuring your resting heart rate is also used to determine a person`s target heart rate.
Athletes use a heart rate monitor as a training aid in identifying their maximum heart rate (MHR) to determine their needed training zones. The easiest method of calculating your maximum hear rate is to subtract your age from 220. Studies have show that one`s MHR on a treadmill is five to six beats higher than on an exercise bike, and two to four beats higher than on a rowing machine. It was also found that physically fit people over the age of fifty are likely to have a higher maximum heart rate that the average person of their age group.
This article was intended to provide you with the basic information of calculating your heart rate and information that will become useful when deciding to start your own cardiovascular workout. You also need to take into consideration that you don`t have to burn yourself out by calculating every single step you take to measure your heart rate. Believe it or not, some people actually do this and are looked at strangely by others as well. If you want to burn more calories, simply eat less or become more active, you don`t have to get scientific until you are advanced enough to know what you`re doing. Until next time, later!
About the Author:
Author’s Site: http://www.mightybody.com
Written By: Zach Bashore
Coenzyme Q10 (also known as Co-Q10, Vitamin Q or ubiquinone) is a compound that is made naturally in the body. It is also found in all living organisms and most foods contain traces of it as well. The highest amounts are found in the heart, liver, kidneys, and pancreas, with the lowest amounts found in the lungs. It is needed for the proper functioning of enzymes (thus the reason for the name “coenzyme”) that are necessary for chemical reactions throughout the body. Coenzymes are a sort of energy sparking catalyst for the cells of the body.
Our bodies could not survive without energy producing Co-Q10. It’s a necessary nutrient needed for the proper functioning of every cell. Without it we would not have enough cellular energy to fuel the physiological reactions we need to survive. As a powerful antioxidant, it also protects the body from free radical damage that can damage important parts of the cell. Several small studies have even shown a benefit for some cancers, possibly because of its immune enhancing effects.
The heart requires the most Co-Q10, calling for a constant supply of energy to pump blood throughout the body. Numerous studies have shown that Co-Q10 can support the cardiovascular system when dealing with such issues as mitral valve prolapse, hypertension, cardiomyopathy, irregular heartbeat, angina and high blood pressure.
Since Coenzyme Q10 assists the body on a cellular level, sufficient stores of this nutrient are needed to fight off illnesses such as chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, and Parkinson’s disease. Having enough Co-Q10 ensures that you can retain proper muscle function and overall stamina.
This important nutrient is easily depleted by stress, age, illness, exercise, and some drugs. Along with blocking the liver mechanism that manufactures cholesterol, cholesterol-lowering drugs, like Lipitor, Zocor and Pravachol (also known as statins) block the production of Coenzyme Q10. Other drugs such as antidepressants and beta blockers also deplete this important nutrient.
Co-Q10 is essential for the functioning of every cell in our bodies. Again, without it we could not survive. When it drops, so does our cardiovascular health, our immunity and general health. When Co-Q10 levels are boosted, so is our immune systems response. Therefore, taking a look at Co-Q10, may assist you in reversing cardiovascular disease, symptoms of fatigue or generally in enhancing the immune system and fending off disease.
Coenzyme Q10 is a boost to overall health. An aid for…TRUE HEALTHY LIVING!
About the author:
Due to personal health issues we have been researching health & fitness for the last five years. The information we have obtained has helped us and our family members get off pharmaceutical drugs and regain a level of health we had never known. Please visit us at http://www.truehealthyliving.blogspot.com
Written By: D & D @ True Healthy Living
To reduce your chances of heart disease, you can eat a low fat diet high in Omega 3, take regular exercise, lose weight and do all those other things the doctors tell us BUT..
Consider my family.
Paternal Grandfather first heart attack in his fifties, eventually died of a stroke at the unripe age of 67.
Maternal Grandfather first heart attack in his forties and died of a heart attack again aged 67.
Father died very suddenly at the tender age of 65 you guessed it – from a massive heart attack having never shown any sign of heart trouble until that point.
Mother suffered from acute angina since her late forties. She is now 60 and takes a cocktail of drugs daily to control the symptoms
Maternal Uncle suffered a heart attack at the age of forty and has been effectively disabled ever since.
Nothing I can do about any of these factors and yet hereditary factors are thought to play a significant part in the development of the disease. After the death of my father in 2002, I really began to question my lifestyle and turned into a health obsessed freak. The stress of this took my blood pressure to 140 over 90 and I was doing more harm to my body than good. I had to re-examine the whole situation.
The big question is this: should I eat ultra sensibly, exercise rigorously, cut out the alcohol (fortunately I have not smoked for nearly 8 years) and eat my way through a forest of plant sterols and generally be miserable, or bow to the inevitable and enjoy whatever time I have left before my heart packs in?
All the doctors and my head would say I should be sensible and do the former, whilst my heart(!) is telling me to live life to the full because as I know all too painfully due to the death of my father, that life is short and every minute should be savoured not wasted.
Well the good news is this at the moment my blood pressure is normal, my cholesterol level is 4.8 (below 5 is considered good) and I take regular walks and play competitive sport every week at the ripe old age of 38 years. OK Im a few pounds heavier than I should be and I have a fairly stressful job. I will continue to ensure I am checked regularly (every 2 years is optimal I am told) by the doctors in the hope that any problem will be caught early and be treated, and perhaps I can approach the dreaded four-oh with optimism instead of dread.
May anyone worried about hereditary heart disease take strength from these ramblings and stop stressing themselves (literally to death) by the worry of achieving the ultimate healthy lifestyle.
Take heart! Be sensible not obsessive. Get checked regularly.
About the Author
Copyright 2005 Daniel Morris Beat-Heart-Disease.com
This article is free please use it as you see fit in its entire form. Please email me at contact@health-info-online.com and let me know where it is being posted and be sure to use a live link to the web site. Thank you.
Written By: Daniel Morris
On Valentine’s Day, we are proud to wear our hearts on our sleeves, on notebooks, gifts, and anywhere we want to add a touch of how we feel. Love is the word for the day and even children join in the fun with heart-shaped cards, candies with catchy phrases and boxes (heart-shaped, of course) that hold chocolates to give to mom, dad, grandparents, and everyone they love and care for.
Valentine’s Day is a wonderful opportunity to show our feelings, our hopes for the future, and our fond memories of the past. It should also be a day that we show our love for who we are, where we came from, and where we intend to go. Wait a minute – loving yourself can go to extremes. We can lavish great luxuries on ourselves, much to the boredom of friends and those close to us, or we can feel guilty about caring about ourselves. There is a happy medium – a point that we can touch on that will let our heart know we care about the person it is beating for, and let our family and friends know that if we care about ourselves, we are well equipped to care about them.
How do you show that you care about yourself without becoming pompous and have an attitude? Well, reaching out to others expands the circle of people you know, bending a little to help others, gives our rigid standards a bit of elasticity so we can appreciate the feelings of others, and stooping to help those who are down for the count actually makes us taller and our own outlooks brighter. Opening our hearts to those around us just gives strength to that “ole’ticker” and letting even a stranger know that there is room in this world for each and every one of them, gives your space a bit more dimension. You see, whatever you do to and for others will rebound. It will make your life better, your hopes richer, and not to mention, like the Grinch Who Stole Christmas, that size 3 heart will stretch and expand to size 10, 20, and really there is no boundary. This, however, is not a health hazard. Your heart will be healthier, stronger, bigger, lighter, and capable of loving more with each endeavor. The more you give of it, the more you get back. If you were in the business of finance, that is a solid ground to build a future on.
Whatever you do this Valentine Day, or the day before or the hundreds of days after, be good to your heart, and reap the rewards of loving and living in a world where there is room for everyone, and we can each have our own “space.” The fountain of love never goes dry, and the mine of diamonds and gold never runs out or precious metals, and even outer space is not the limit to what people can do once they get started. Love yourself enough to love others and
ENJOY!
Arleen M. Kaptur 2003 January
About the Author
Arleen has written numerous articles, novels, and cookbooks. Her newsletters:
http://www.Arleens-RusticLiving.com
http://www.arleenssite.com
Written By: Arleen M. Kaptur
What is a heart rate monitor? These gadgets are a very wonderful tool to have for both those who have heart related problems and those who are looking to improve their workouts. The goal of these devices is to monitor your heart rate at all times during the day. While exercising to lose weight, your goal should be to maintain your heart rate in the ideal ‘zone’ for fat burning. But, too much of a good thing is not good either. The monitor allows for accurate measurement of the heart during these periods so that you don’t exceed the recommended levels for your age/fitness level. The heart rate monitor makes this process a lot easier. But, choosing a heart rate monitor can be tricky. We’ve cut through all the hype and reviewed some of the best on the market:
The Polar F11: Polar is an excellent brand no matter what but this model is a great all around version. You can use the program “Keeps U Fit Workout Program” to meet your personal goals. OwnZone is another feature which allows you to monitor your target heart range and it tells you how many calories you are burning during it. It uses a coded transmitter to find your heart rate and you will not have interference from other monitors.
Polar A3: If the Polar F11 looks good but is too expensive, go with the stepped down version in this model. It works as a personal trainer in its ability to allow you to track the previous workouts. It’s easy to use and very accurate.
Garmin Forerunner 301. Okay, if you are a gadget lover, this is the heart rate monitor for you. It uses GPS to help you throughout your journey through health fitness. If you are a runner, use this monitor to track how far you have gone what your heart rate is during that time as well as allow you to download it all to your PC to track and monitor. And, as your heart rate improves this monitor will adjust your target zone to keep pushing you to the next level.
Acumen Eon Basix ES: In this model, you get beginner tools. It’s easy to use and has the functions that you want. It has a target zone function that you can program.
For something different, go with the Mio Shape. In most heart rate monitors, a chest strap is used to monitor your heart’s beat. But, in this unique model, it uses a finger sensor instead. Although some have found difficulty in using this accurately, it is worth mentioning.
We hope you find something that fits your style and needs and you use it to take your fitness to the next level.
About the author:
Mike Singh is the publisher of http://www.ell iptical-trainers-reviews.com/ On his website he provides nordic track elliptical reviews and more eliptical trainer reviews.
Written By: Mike Singh
The point here is not necessarily to ignore skills you may have developed but to set them aside for the moment and try to recognize where your heart wants to lead you.
How do you decide what career choice you will make? Centuries ago, one apprenticed at an early age to learn from a master craftsman experienced in a particular field. It took years, often decades before one was considered even moderately skilled. Michelangelo was apprenticed at age 13. But what if he had hated drawing and learned it only because it was his duty, his job?
Each of us is capable of learning a skill given enough time, one which we can repeat as needed. But does the work tempt you, lure you to return in the small hours of the night? Are you drawn to it like a moth to the flame, enticed by what could be? Michelangelo surely was, for to infuse paint with the raw power to inspire and awe mankind for centuries to come did not come because he learned the basic skills of wielding a paintbrush.
The point here is not necessarily to ignore skills you may have developed but to set them aside for the moment and try to recognize where your heart wants to lead you. Don’t change jobs simply because you’re good at some skill. Skills are what the past has created. They are merely ways to get from point A to point B. I’ve seen that skills by themselves won’t make you happy.
Actually, it’s the one thing that can keep a person blocked from what they love because skills protect you from knowing what you would want and love to do. When you find that work which you truly love, you will discover the gifts hidden within you.
My recommendation here is to take some time to examine what your heart desires. If you suddenly lost the ability to perform the skills you currently perform or take pride in, what else would you do? Whether that is sailing, raising dogs, creating a new recipe or painting a picture, listen for the tiny whispered messages that your heart reveals. This is where your soul resides. Anne Frank said, “Everyone has inside of him a piece of good news. The good news is that you don’t know how great you can be! How much you can love! What you can accomplish! And what your potential is!”
Christopher Reeve went from playing Superman to being one. He has become a driving force for research in spinal cord injuries since his life-changing accident. If you were suddenly transported to a life in which everything you take for granted was gone, what would you do? Where does your heart lead you?
About the Author
Copyright 2003, Joel Garfinkle, All Rights Reserved
Joel Garfinkle provides a step-by-step Dream Job process that has guided thousands of clients to find the perfect job and reach career fulfillment. For Career Coaching Services: http://www.dreamjobcoaching.com/coaching.shtml
Written By: Joel Garfinkle
