Be Heart Smart

What if you have a heart condition or end up with one, do you know how to exercise with an unhealthy heart? Eating right and exercising will help prevent heart disease but they are not guarantee, sorry wish it was but it is not. So what do you do? First, as always, talk with your doctor before you start any type of exercise program. They should be able to help you determine how to start and give you guidelines for your heart rate.  

You don’t want to put too much strain on an already unhealthy heart, so it will be important to start out slow on cardio and light on resistance and remember to keep your breathing steady during your workout. Know your resting heart rate, safe exercising heart rate and maximum heart rate, so you can determine how safely you are working. Consider working with a physical therapist or personal trainer to help ensure you are performing the right exercises, the right way.  

Pace yourself, you are trying to make your heart stronger and over doing will not help. But most importantly, know the signs of too much strain on your heart and when to see your doctor.

Here are some signs to look out for. 

Chest pains
Shortness of breathe
Dizziness
Nausea

We would like to stay healthy and active, but you need to know how to deal with certain conditions. Do your research, talk to professionals, and stay informed. The site listed below goes into more details about staying healthy with an unhealthy heart. Please read, you may not need it personally but you may know someone that does.  

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/patientinstructions/000094.htm


References

Being Active When You Have Heart Disease: In U.S. National Library of Medicine online. Retrieved from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/patientinstructions/000094.htm

Deanna S.