Heart Month And Senior Balance Exercises

Senior Balance Exercises For Heart Healthy Month

By Suzanne Stoke, Physical Therapist @ Exercise For Balance via www.exerciseforbalance.com

  February is American Heart Month and components of having a healthy heart include physical exercises, starting with specific senior balance exercises to first establish appropriate balance skills for your fitness program. Please see    http://www.exerciseforbalance.com/buy-now  According to the American Heart Association, education, exercise, good nutrition and lifestyle changes can prevent 80 percent of cardiac events, yet heart disease remains the number one killer in the United States. To challenge your heart health knowledge, ask your self: What are you doing to keep your heart healthy?

• Are you getting 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week?

• Are you watching the amount of salt (sodium) in your diet?

• Are you eating your fruits and vegetables?                                                                                                                                                             Here are four main areas to work on for optimal heart health:

• Lower your blood pressureThe CDC states that people with high blood pressure are four times more likely to die from a stroke and three times more likely to die from heart disease, compared to those with normal blood pressure. Reducing sodium intake will help naturally lower your blood pressure. According to the CDC, if everyone reduced the amount of sodium in their diet by 1,200 mg per day, up to 99,000 heart attacks and 66,000 strokes could be prevented in the United States every year.

• Lower your cholesterolToo much LDL (bad) cholesterol can build up and form plaque in your arteries, making them less flexible. If a blood clot forms and blocks a narrowed artery, a heart attack or stroke can result. High LDL cholesterol can be genetic; if it runs in your family, lifestyle modifications such as a lowering fat in your diet and increasing your exercise may not be enough. Speak with your physician about a plan that works best for you.

• Quit smoking—and if you don't smoke, don't startAny amount of smoking – light, occasional and even secondhand, can damage your heart and blood vessels. Quitting smoking will reduce your risk of developing and dying from heart disease. Over time, quitting also will lower your risk of atherosclerosis and blood clots.

• Get enough ExerciseTo improve overall cardiovascular health, the American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise per week. Thirty minutes a day, five times a week is an easy goal to remember. You will even experience benefits if you divide your time into two or three segments of 10 to 15 minutes per day. The simplest, positive change you can make to effectively improve your heart health is to start walking. To initiate a safe walking program, it is recommended to practice senior balance exercises first to develop excellent stability before hitting the walkways.

  

Senior Balance Exercises For Safe Walking

    To enhance cardiovascular health, walking programs are recommended by the American Heart Association, beginning with a series of senior balance exercises to first develop adequate steadiness. To prepare for walking on uneven surfaces, you can first stand on balance equipment like foam, balance discs or the bosu. Additionally, you can use items at home to help challenge your stability. As an example, you can begin a single stance equilibrium routine while standing on a couch or lawn chair cushion on one foot. By standing on a soft, uneven surface, you will challenge the balance reactions at your feet and ankles, which will strengthening your overall steadiness and prepare you for an outside walking program. You can learn a series of senior balance exercises and strengthening exercises by following along with an experienced Physical therapist in the Exercise For Balance DVD.

Senior Balance Exercises In The Exercise For Balance DVD

    To start a heart healthy walking program, please begin the best balance exercises with the Exercise For Balance DVD. The healthcare provider recommended Exercise For Balance DVD is an excellent educational DVD to use at home or in a group setting. The easy to follow Exercise For Balance DVD is complete with  a step by step series of the best balance and strength exercises needed to enhance senior fitness and to perform basic activities like shopping, walking, standing, stair climbing or to advance to high level activities like skiing, dancing and hiking. In the  comprehensive Exercise For Balance DVD, you will learn how to improve stability, steadiness techniques and balance routines from a balance instructor --- licensed Physical Therapist)---who has worked with balance and dizziness disorders for over 25 years. Get your copy of the Exercise For Balance DVD by clicking on the BUY NOW button

 Start a heart healthy fitness program by performing balance exercises today with the Exercise For Balance DVD to improve balance and prevent falls.
For more information see http://www.mayoclinic.com/health-information/