From USANA’s Trainers: Heart Health Month

It’s inspiring to watch the world’s elite athletes — especially Team USANA — compete in the 2010 Winter Games. Though most of us aren’t striving for Olympic glory, we can still take a lesson from these athletes and strive to maintain our health.

It’s been a while since we’ve had a “From USANA’s Trainers” post. Devan Foster, USANA’s wellness coordinator, has been busily overseeing USANA’s first-rate fitness facilities and ensuring our employees are getting their training needs met. He’s doing a fantastic job.

But since February is Heart Health Month, I asked Devan to share some tips and explain the importance of a maintaining a healthy heart.

Everyone has one, and many consider it the center of human emotion. Most of you probably know its basic function and how to care for it.

Yet according to the World Health Organization, its ailments are the world’s leading cause of death. In fact, more than 31% of deaths in the United States each year are due to some form of cardiovascular disease. Does that scare you? Whether it does or doesn’t, here are some ways to help you keep your heart healthy.

How do I exercise my heart?
While we all know it’s important to exercise the heart, many wonder how best to go about doing it. It’s really dependent on the individual, who should take into consideration fitness level and interests.

The intensity of a sedentary person’s exercise may be much lower than that of his or her highly active friend. Running, biking, swimming, and even weight lifting are beneficial to the heart. The goal is to raise the heart rate high enough to cause anatomical and physiological change. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, the mode of activity may be “any activity using large muscle groups, which can be maintained continuously, and is rhythmical and aerobic in nature…”

How often do I exercise my heart?
The ACSM also says that effective cardiovascular exercise, is exercise that raises the heart rate to 55%+ of an untrained individual’s maximum heart rate (Max Heart Rate = 220 – Age) and between 65%-90% of a trained individual’s maximum heart rate. The duration of this activity should be at least 30 minutes of continuous activity, a minimum of 3 days per week.

If you’re someone who has difficulty finding 30 continuous minutes to spare during the day, several 10 minute bouts of high-intensity activity will suffice in strengthening the heart.

So why should we put ourselves under such stress and oxygen deprivation? The answer lies in the heart tissue itself.

What happens when I exercise my heart?
The heart is a muscle, and much like the muscles of your arms or legs, the more we work it the stronger the muscle fibers get. As we strengthen the heart, its ability to pump blood with more ease increases.

For example, the heart of an untrained individual at rest, will pump between 50-70 ml/beat, whereas that of an athlete at rest will pump between 90-110 ml/beat. In addition to the increased stroke volume, the blood vessels within the heart experience a fascinating change.

Exercise causes what is called collateral circulation. Within the heart, are many closed vessels, called collateral blood vessels. Through exercise, these closed vessels open and provide “alternative routes” for blood. This is extremely important in situations such as stroke or blocked vessels of the heart because the collateral circulation may allow a “detour” around the blockage.

Cardiovascular exercise also helps prevent arterial blockage in the first place. Cardiovascular exercise is perhaps the most effective method to increase High Density Lipoproteins (HDLs). HDL cholesterol is “good” cholesterol.

Think of it like a garbage truck, picking up Low Density Lipoproteins (LDLs, or bad cholesterol) and taking them to the dump (the liver). Lowering LDL levels helps prevent heart disease. A healthy diet high in both soluble and insoluble fiber will also help prevent heart disease.

What else can I do?
It’s near the beginning of the year, making it the perfect time to reevaluate your personal fitness and set goals to become healthier! Let’s find strength in numbers by joining a running group or fitness club. Let’s find the willpower to eat a little healthier this year. Let’s fight off heart disease, and at the same time feel better, and be the best person we each can be!

Heart Smart
Take advantage of special savings on USANA’s popular heart-healthy products. The Heart Smart Pack (Item #965) includes CoQuinone® 30, BioMega™, and Proflavanol® 90, and is available through Feb. 19 for a special price (US/CA/UK).