Maria Sollon, MS, CSCS, PES

What does heart health mean to you?

Every single day, our hearts are the steadfast drumbeats of vitality. Our heart is the engine of our wellness that dictates the longevity of our journey.

Heart Health Fun Facts

Listed below are 10 Fun Facts that provide helpful information about heart health.  These are insightful facts that you might not know about, and information that makes you think!

1. Heartbeats Galore: Your heart beats around 100,000 times per day, pumping about 2,000 gallons of blood through your body.
2. Size Matters: The size of your heart is roughly the size of your fist, but its impact is monumental.
3. Electrical Orchestra: Your heart has its own electrical system, regulating the rhythm of your heartbeat without you even thinking about it.
4. Heart’s Lifespan: With care, your heart can beat over 3 billion times in a lifetime.
5. Emotional Echoes: Emotions affect your heart health—stress, anger, and loneliness can take a toll on your ticker.
6. Heart’s Weightlifting: Your heart muscles are strong! They exert enough force to shoot blood up to 30 feet across the room.
7. Heart’s Fast Food: The heart beats fastest during childhood and adolescence, then gradually slows down.
8. Laugh for Health: Laughter truly is the best medicine—it can improve blood flow and boost heart health.
9. Matters of the Heart: Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, emphasizing the need for proactive heart care.
10. Sleep’s Serenade: Quality sleep is essential for heart health, aiding in repair and restoration of cardiovascular tissues.

This information is documented in these fun facts are found in various reputable sources, like medical and health journals and educational materials, such as the American Heart Association (AHA), known for accurate information on heart health and wellness.

Heart Health Basics

To keep your heart in top shape, it’s vital to maintain a balanced lifestyle.  Listed are some of the most common ways to keep your heart beating strong.  Daily self care contributes significantly to your heart’s resilience and vitality.  Although these may seem basic, it’s a great reminder to keep your mind on your heart and improve upon to give your body the love it deserves.

1. Healthy Diet: Fill your plate with fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains while limiting saturated fats, sodium, and added sugars.
2. Regular Exercise: Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week to keep your heart pumping strong.
3. Manage Stress: Incorporate stress-reducing activities like yoga, meditation, or deep breathing exercises to keep your heart calm and collected.
4. Efficient Rest: Quality sleep is crucial for heart health as it allows the body to repair and rejuvenate cardiovascular tissues. Aim for 7-9 hours of uninterrupted sleep each night to support optimal heart function and overall well-being.

Core Sweat Workout

Although exercise isn’t the only factor that can improve heart health, it is quite possibly the most impactful and something that you can control.  There’s a synergetic benefit to exercise as well. Regular exercise typically promotes better eating habits, reduces stress, and improves your quality of sleep. So let’s fire up those engines with a Core Sweat Workout designed to elevate your heart rate, challenge your muscles, and ignite your spirit!

The workout incorporates core strength exercises along with short bursts of cardio drills to kick it up a notch on your Total Gym. These movements are designed to flow seamlessly within each circuit, while challenging your muscles from different angles.  There are 3 circuits, 3 exercises, and 3 different body positions: upright (standing), supine (lying on back), and side lying (on side).

Equipment Needed: Total Gym

Incline: Medium-High Level

Warm-up:

• Dynamically move in all ranges of motion for 3-5 minutes to get your blood flowing and muscles primed for the main Core Sweat event!

Circuits: Core + Sweat + Combo

• Each circuit contains 3 exercises: a core strength move, a cardio drill, and a combination of both.
• Perform each exercise for 15 reps, repeat each circuit 2xs.

Cool Down:

• Wind down with a few minutes of stretching to ease muscle tension and promote flexibility.

#1: Upright Circuit

• Core Strength: Seated Twist
• Cardio: Step Ups
• Combo: Step Up Twists

#2: Supine Circuit

• Core Strength: Crunch Rocks
• Cardio: Squat Hops
• Combo: Squat Crunch Hops

#3: Side Lying Circuit (both sides)

• Core Strength: Oblique Crunch
• Cardio: Single Leg Hops
• Combo: Single Leg Hop Diagonal Crush

Check out the video to see a demonstration of how to perform the Core Sweat exercises on your Total Gym.

Remember, your heart is the conductor to orchestrate your body’s health.  Keep it strong, practice heart-healthy habits, and move to your rhythm to make every beat count!

Maria

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www.mariasollonfitness.com

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