Since many seniors are trying to improve their health, more and more people are starting to use exercise programs to improve health and fight heart disease. A healthy heart involves exercise. You do not have to do strenuous exercises to benefit from an exercise program. Simple cardiovascular and aerobic exercises will be beneficial. Below is a list of tips and warnings for all seniors who are exercising for a healthy heart.
Before starting any exercise program, Phoenix Senior Living wants to remind all seniors to check with their doctor first to make sure that the exercises they’re doing are safe.
1. Make sure all exercises are paced. You do not want to go too fast or over-do it. Give your muscles time to relax between exercises.
2. Individuals who have heart failure should always exercise in a controlled climate. Do not exercise outside in the extreme heat or cold.
3. During all exercises, make sure to have water nearby. Staying hydrated is one of the most important factors of a healthy exercise regime.
4. If you become fatigued, stop the exercise. Do not exercise if you have not been feeling well or if you experience any shortness of breath.
5. Pain can be an indicator of other health problems. If you experience any pain, stop the exercise, especially if the pain is in the chest.
6. After all exercises, check your pulse 15 minutes after you have stopped. Your pulse rate should be lower than 120.
At Phoenix Senior Living we know that one of the most common health issues among seniors is heart disease. Many seniors are now implementing new diets to help reduce the risk of developing the fatal disease. It may be difficult to change a complete diet, but by altering things a little bit, the chances of heart disease can be diminished. Below is a list of steps to take to alter a diet and lower the chances of heart disease.
1. Reduce the intake of cholesterol and unhealthy fats. This is one of the most important steps to lower cholesterol as well as the risk of heart disease.
2. Eat foods with low-fat protein. This can include fish, poultry and egg whites. Flaxseed, walnuts, beans and peas are high in protein and low in fat.
3. Increase the intake of fruits and vegetables. These foods are rich in fiber and low in calories. They also contain substances that can reduce the risk of heart disease.
4. Eat whole grains instead of bread with refined flour and cereals with sugar.
5. Reduce salt intake. Don’t forget that processed foods contain high amounts of salt. Reduce the intake of processed foods and avoid the addition of salt while cooking and eating at the table.
6. Eat in moderation and avoid filling your plate. Keep portions of food balanced.
7. Create daily menus to help you plan ahead.
If you are a caregiver, or know anyone with a heart condition, you could benefit from watching the following clip, which features a modified form of CPR called CCR that is easier to learn, easier to do and can save even more lives!
Issues such as health and medication can cause seniors to have more problems sleeping. And lack of sleep can begin to take its toll on older adults. Sleeping less than seven and a half hours per day may be associated with potential risk of heart disease for older people.
A combination of little sleep and overnight elevated blood pressure appears to be associated with an increased risk of the disease.
Getting adequate sleep is essential to preventing health conditions such as obesity and diabetes as well as several risk factors for cardiovascular disease including sleep-disordered breathing and night-time hypertension (high blood pressure). But, the evidence has been growing that changes in modern lifestyle are causing people to get less sleep.
This study monitored the sleep of 1,255 individuals with hypertension (94 percent) and followed them for an average of 50 months. Their average age was 70.4 years with a range of 33 to 97 years; there were 476 men and 779 women.
Researchers noted patients’ sleep duration, daytime and nighttime blood pressure and cardiovascular disease events such as stroke, heart attack and sudden cardiac death. During follow-up, 99 cardiovascular disease events occurred. Sleep duration of less than 7.5 hours was associated with incident cardiovascular disease.
Since many seniors are trying to improve their health, more and more people are starting to use exercise programs to improve health and fight heart disease. A healthy heart involves exercise. You do not have to do strenuous exercises to benefit from an exercise program. Simple cardiovascular and aerobic exercises will be beneficial. Below is a list of tips and warnings for all seniors who are exercising for a healthy heart.