Cardiovascular Disease - How to reduce your risks.

Hi all, Mark here from Alltone Fitness & BNG Boot Camp in Watsonia. In this week’s blog I have decided to tackle the topic of cardiovascular disease and how we can all reduce our risk factors.

Cardiovascular disease (cvd) is the term used for heart, stroke and blood vessel diseases. CVD is the leading cause of death in Australia, accounting for 38% of all deaths in 2002 claiming the lives of more than one in three Australians. There are a number of different conditions associated with this which include.

Coronary Heart Disease

Coronary Heart Disease, (CHD) is caused by the slow build-up over many years of fatty cholesterol containing deposits in the inner wall of one or more of the hearts arteries.

Heart Attack

Heart Attack occurs when a coronary artery is suddenly blocked by a blood clot and the part of the heart muscle supplied by that artery is damaged because it is starved of oxygen.

Heart failure

Heart failure occurs when the heart muscle has become too weak to pump blood through the body as effectively as normal. This causes blood to dam up behind the heart and fluid to collect in the lunges and other body tissues.

Angina

Angina is temporary chest pain or discomfort, resulting from a reduced blood supply to the heart muscle. It occurs because part of the chest muscle is temporally unable to get enough blood and oxygen to meet its demands

High Blood Pressure

Also known as hypertension, simply means that your blood is pumping with more blood force than normal through your arteries.

Stroke

A stroke occurs when an artery supplying blood to a part of the brain becomes blocked or bursts. As a result, that part of the brain is damaged because it is deprived of its blood supply.

Exercise Considerations and reducing your risks of cardiovascular disease.

If diagnosed with one of the above conditions, it is extremely important you acquire medical clearance from your doctor before commencing personal training,group fitness, boot camp or any fitness related activity.   A recent American Heart Association consensus statement on preventing heart attack and death in patients with coronary disease suggested a minimum of 30 to 60 minutes of moderate-intensity activity 3 or 4 times weekly along with an increase in daily lifestyle activities (e.g., walk breaks at work, using stairs, gardening, household activities); 5 to 6 hours a week was suggested for maximum benefits. Increasing physical activity in daily living can be helpful in this regard. Both aerobic and resistance exercises are encouraged at a moderate intensity level.

Sudden stop-and-go or extremely strenuous activities may be beneficial, but are more likely to place undue stress on the heart, especially for those who are normally sedentary. It is recommended to commence with a low intensity program and slowly increase when appropriate. 

 If in doubt about exercising, seek the advice of a fitness professional like a personal trainer in your local area. At Alltone Fitness we offer personal training, boot camp andyoga in the Bundoora, Watsonia, Mill Park and Greensborough area, so feel free to get in touch.

Reducing your risks of CVD.

It goes without saying that being active can significantly reduce the risk of developing CVD. Joining a gym, going for a brisk walk, swimming, group fitness classes, boot camp, or hiring a personal trainer are all fantastic ways to stay fit and active. If there is a history of heart disease in your family, having regular checkups with your doctor is a must. Keeping cholesterol and blood pressure levels in check with your doctor can help pick up early signs of CVD. Diet plays an extremely important role, cut out highly processed foods and include whole foods which are high in fiber and nutrients like fruit and vegetables.

Take a look at your lifestyle factors that could increase your risks, the obvious ones being smoking and excessive alcohol consumption. Lastly, high stress levels could be a problem. Take time out and don’t sweat the small stuff. Schedule time out during the day the switch your brain off. A simple 5 minute meditation or breathing exercise could do wanders in reducing stress levels.