16 Jan 2016 Have a (healthy) heart
by Karl Lenser
Your heart is one of the most powerful and important muscles in your body. Its primary function is to pump blood to your muscles so the cells get nourished and muscles can function properly.
The heart is not very large (about the size of your fist), but it is an amazing pump when you consider what it does for you every second of your life. In essence, when your heart is healthy and functioning properly, life is good. When it fails to perform as it was designed to, life isn’t as enjoyable and you end up living a compromised life.
Why take care of your heart? Why should you exercise this important muscle? Why keep it strong and healthy?
It beats (contracts) about 70 times per minute while you are at rest. Seventy is the average resting heart rate. This translates to 4,200 beats per hour and 100,800 beats in one day. That is 705,000 beat or contractions in one week and 36,691,200 beats or contractions in one year!
While you are at rest, the heart will pump out 5 gallons of blood every minute or 300 gallons in an hour. Remember that it is the size of your fist and can do all of this work.
It never rests.
If it does “rest” or have some problems, you are most likely in big trouble.
It pumps blood, which gives your muscles energy to contract so you can move your body.
Unfortunately, this wonderfully designed muscle pump does wear out at some point in your life.
The good news is that you can keep the heart in great shape as you age. It takes a little bit of effort, patience, consistency and motivation to help your heart out.
Like other mechanical pumps or engines, if you clog them up with junk, they will not work as efficiently. Keep the pipes and valves (arteries) clean and open, and your heart will say “thank you” to you every day.
Consuming high amounts of fat-laden and cholesterol-containing food will increase the chances for heart disease. Foods from animal sources contain cholesterol. Fruits and veggies contain no cholesterol. Moderation is the key to a healthy diet!
Get moving to make the heart stronger. Walking, jogging, swimming, cycling, Zumba, kickboxing, elliptical machines are all good exercises for the heart.
Like other muscles in your body, the heart responds well to stimulation. Start moving and improving your heart and energy system.
If you don’t use it (your heart), you lose it as it will wear out sooner than it should.
Fit people generally have a great heart and lung system and have a ton of energy.
Remember that something is better than nothing when it comes to exercise and reaping the benefits.
Find some activity that you enjoy!
As you become fitter, your resting heart rate will go down because the heart becomes stronger and more efficient as you continue to exercise.
A Conway resident, Karl Lenser is the director of wellness programs at Hendrix College. He has bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse. An accomplished runner, he can be reached at [email protected].
