Sunday, February 27, 2011

5km running plan

 May 8th is the Mothers Day Run in Calgary...
I would like to be able to run the  5km if not the 10km (with mom!)
So I've been  looking for a training program.

Im going to start with a 5km running plan for beginners...
because while I have run before - even 12km!! - its been way to long!

I found this 8 week 5km training plan on besthealthmag.com
Click HERE to see it
It focuses on interval training - alternating between running and walking.


Week 1
Goal: Walk 90 seconds, jog or run 60 seconds in intervals, and then recover. Interval training alternates higher intensity with lower intensity exercise and is an efficient way of working out. Repeat intervals until you’ve reached 30 minutes.


I will post the week's training program here every Sunday- so if you want you can train too!

The goal is to train 4-5 days a week.
I am going to aim  for 3 running/interval days, and one strength training a week.

Its important to set a goal, make it specfic and measurable and then post it up somewhere where you see it every day!
So I am making a sign about the mothers day run and putting it on my fridge!



I hope you will join me in training for a 5km run.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Diet Pop = Heart Disease

I have written about the dangers of pop before..

Now there is new research linking Diet Pop to Heart Disease.
People who drink diet soda every day have a 61% higher risk of having vascular events than people who dont.

Key thing to take away from this study is that Diet Pop is NOT the best replacement for high sugar content beverages.
Soft drinks should be a treat, NOT something that you drink every day, or even every week - even if its diet.
The sugar, the artificial sweeteners, the chemicals, articial flavors and colors... these are all bad for you.
Have you ever wonded WHAT is in a can of coke that makes it calorie free... that means Nothing in that can can be utilized by your body as a source of energy...

here is a link to a video from The Today Show covering the study..
http://video.ca.msn.com/watch/video/diet-sodas-may-be-hazardous-to-your-health/17y1h0fuf?from=en-ca-infopane

Click Here to read my post about increased Pancreatic Cancer risk associated with Pop

Monday, February 14, 2011

Risk Factors

50-80% of heart disease is preventable.

The best way to prevent heart disease is by knowing and controlling your risk factors

The risk factors you can control are..
high blood pressure
high blood cholesterol
diabetes (type II)
being overweight
excessive alcohol consumption
physical inactivity
smoking
stress

-to find out how you can prevent these risk factors, or reverse or reduce the impact of these risk factors
Talk to you Doctor
-high blood pressure is the #1 cause of stroke - and you can't feel your blood pressure - have a check up with the doctor, ask what your blood pressure is, where it should be (tpyically around 120/80) and how to get it there
-things like reducing sodium intake, reducing stress by taking holidays, working less hours, practicing deep breathing, or listening to relaxing music can help

Talk to your doctor about options to help you quit smoking, and ways to begin being more physically active and what type of activity is right for you.

Remember- when it comes to physical activity - its okay to start slow.
Try to do 10 minutes of activity a couple times a day - like walking the stairs during commercial breaks, taking a walk on your lunch break, jumping jacks and jogging on the spot while waiting for something to cook...

risk factors that you cannot control include
age
sex
ethnicity
family history
and history of a stroke

-even though you cannot change these risk factors, you and your doctor should be aware of which ones affect you

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Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Heart Healthy Food

Here are some things to try if you are looking for heart healthy foods to add to your diet..

Make homemade salad dressing with 1tbsp Flax seed oil for a big dose of heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids
Or sprinkle ground flax seeds on your cereal or yogurt every morning

Add legumes such as peas, or beans to 4 meals a week - this can cut you chance of heart attack by 22%
Hazelnuts have also been shown to reduce the risk of heart attack

Induldge a bit:
Eat a few small pieces of dark chocolate (not milk chocolate) a week - high in flavonoids, dark chocolate helps arteries stay flexible and prevent plaque build up
A beer a day has been shown to reduce cholesterol, increase antioxidants in the blood , and reduce the protein fibrinogen which promotes blood clots (red wine is also a good choice - but you have to choose one of the other - not both!)

Cook with spices such as ginger and turmeric a couple times a week - they are great because of their anti-inflammatory properties

Take a B vitamin complex every morning (a combination of folic acid, B-6 and B-12) - studies have shown that levels of homocystein (linked to heart disease) are about 40% lower








Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Call A Friend



Do you know someone who has suffered from a heart attack?

Call them up and have dinner, go to a movie, invite them over....

Because a study recently published in Heart journal found that having a close relationship with another person - whether it's a friend, significant other, or relative-
can Halve the risk of suffering another heart attack.

Friday, February 4, 2011

Joannie Rochette Heart Your Health Campaign

Joannie Rochette is a Canadian bronze medal figure skater
Last year at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics, her mom died suddenly of heart disease
days before she was to compete

Joannie skated for her mom and won her country the bronze medal

her goal now is to spread awareness about heart disease
It is the number one killer of women in north America - over all the cancers combined.


tell someone you love about the risk of heart disease
and encourge your family members to go to the doctor regularly - even if they think nothing is wrong
high blood pressure is called the silent killer because it often presents no signs
until it ultimatly leads to stroke or heart attack

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Exercise for your Heart

Everyone has been told a hundred times that they need to exercise.
Its important, not only to maintain a healthy bodyweight, but also necessary to maintain a healthy cardiovascular system

your heart is a muscle
and like any other muscle it needs to be worked and exercised in order to stay healthy
so get your heart pumping, and get your heart rate up every day
-for adults it is suggested to get at least 30 minutes a day -
and that can be broken up into 3-10min session a day

so your goal today.... get 3 session of 10minutes of good cardiovascular exercise

Suggestions:

On your lunch break, go for a brisk walk - it should be fast enough that you can feel your heart rate increase
but not so fast you cant carry on a converstation
Go for at least  10 minutes

When you get home, maybe while catching up on the news
spend 10 minutes - walking/jogging on the spot, go fast, get your knees up and swing your arms
and maybe do some jumping jacks for good measure

Then around 8pm a while after you've had dinner,
Do some boxing.  Make little hops back and forth between each foot
get your arms up in front of your face and alternate punching out with each arm
(for an extra challenge, instead of hopping - sink down into a deep squat and hold it as long as you can while boxing)

There! You have done 30 minutes of exercise
and done something great for your heart.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Heart Month


February is Heart Month

Its time to learn your risk factors
learn how to reduce them
and take care of your heart

click here, here and here to see previous posts about heart disease


and check back throughout the next couple weeks
for posts on heart health
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