dance cardio workout

You are now home from the hospital
and while the healing process is well underway
or you would not have been discharged
there are miles to go. There seem to be so many instructions to remember. You simply will not be up to much in the first few weeks
and in some cases
for several more. I won’t understate this. Yes
an upbeat approach by the hospital medical staff may have sent you waltzing home and it’s thrilling to be leaving the hospital
where you haven’t been permitted to sleep through the night. Yet you are returning home greatly fatigued
with a medications schedule to manage
possibly a tank of oxygen
and perhaps recurrent irregular heartbeats or other complications that remain unresolved. Now is the time to dedicate yourself to the hard work of recovery. Alternating rest and exercise
and above all patience with the physical and emotional trials ahead
is your assignment for the next several weeks.

You and your caregiver will mostly be on your own unless your particular situation requires a treatment plan that includes post-op visits from a home health care nurse. Even if that’s the case
now is the time to review any guidelines your hospital medical team has given you about what to be aware of.

If you have purchased the paperback or downloaded the e-book version of The Open Heart Companion: Preparation and Guidance for Open-Heart Surgery Recovery
from my website http://www.openheartcoach.com
it’s time to reread Chapter 5
“The Challenges You May Face.” This chapter provides detailed information not only on challenges that may arise in your recovery
but it also supplies solutions as well. For example
on the subject of feeling isolated: “This is the time to find other open-heart surgery survivors and their caregivers to talk to. Swap stories
share information
hear what other families have gone through. Just knowing that you are not alone as you go through your rehabilitation can lift the veil of isolation. There can be a tendency to hold one’s surgery and recovery experiences too privately
but not reaching out to others will only deprive you of receiving compassionate support. If you are feeling isolated
do yourself a favor: reach out to friends and family
and look for a heart surgery support group locally or online.” However
whenever in doubt about what you may be experiencing specifically
contact your designated medical liaison for professional diagnosis or medical attention. No question or concern is too trivial.

For most of us
there is a difficult recovery challenge from the time we leave the hospital until we are healed and strong enough to enroll in a local rehab program. That’s one of the reasons for my book
to bridge this gap as so little medical attention is focused on the recuperation period that lasts anywhere from four to eight weeks. We thought getting through surgery was the biggest hurdle. However
the hurdle is greater when we are home on our own with not much progress to report fast enough -- and without all those experts in the hospital to lean on.

Every recovery is different. If you’ve been told to expect improvement “two days forward
one day back
” you might be disappointed to experience instead only one good day (a period of energetic spunk) followed by two
three
or even four days of just plain feeling lousy. Even to meet the assignment of increasing your walking time from five minutes to ten minutes a day may feel like an insurmountable task at first. You may also be swinging in and out of temporary depression. (In my case
I wished the discharge nursing staff had emphasized the psychological challenges of recovery
not just the physical stresses.) Or
you may feel “off
” and think you might be coming down with a virus. That might be the case
but feeling off can be due to other things as well: you may have become anemic (as I did); you may be having an allergic reaction; sleep deprivation may have caught up with you—there are many possibilities. Know that everyone goes through discouragement
yet those who are informed to expect ups and downs will fare far better.

Recovery after surgery takes time. There’s often a feeling of “being all alone.” Because I
and dozens of patients and caregivers who were interviewed for The Open Heart Companion
have gone through open-heart surgery recovery ourselves
I offer the help you need via a free monthly phone support group
a newsletter specifically on recovery
a highly informational paperback (also available as an e-book)
and general practical tips. Stop by my site at http://www.openheartcoach.com to see how we can help you recover faster.

Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) is a condition in which the heart does not pump the blood through the body properly. When the blood is not properly pumped throughout the body
the oxygen that the blood carries is not appropriately dispersed to the muscles and other places that require oxygen. At this time in medical technology
Congestive Heart Failure is not curable. However there are medical treatments for the condition and adhering to these treatments helps patients with CHF to live as comfortably and as normally as possible. There are ways to cope with CHF.

First
when a patient is diagnosed with CHF
he or she needs to find a heart specialist that he or she goes to regularly. The patient also needs a regular practitioner to be able to keep on top of prescriptions and other things. Certain medications will be prescribed and one of the best things that a CHF patient can do is to take medications on time regularly and in the correct amounts. Another thing that will help your doctor determine the right combination of medications for you is to record when you take your medications and how you feel after taking your medications. If a certain medicine is causing side affects
your doctor might possibly be able to prescribe a substitute for that particular medication.

Another important aspect of keeping a relatively healthy and comfortable lifestyle is diet. Most patients are placed on a restrictive diet. Many are required to eat heart-healthy low-fat
low-sodium diet. In most cases
2
g of sodium is the daily limit. Excessive sodium in a diet may cause water retention
making it difficult to breathe. Since CHF already causes problems with water retention
it is helpful to retain as little water with diet as possible. Another thing that causes water retention is drinking excessive liquids. This is another thing the doctor may limit.

Besides medicine and adjusted diet
exercise is a way to cope with Congestive Heart Failure. Many people with CHF think that physical activity will harm them. However
though strenuous activity is not be appropriate
light to moderate activity can be healthy when done carefully.

Another way to cope and live comfortably with Congestive Heart Failure is to make sure you reduce stress as much as possible. Stress has a very negative effect on your heart and as a result
has a negative effect on the functions of your body. Any worry or burden that your family
friends
or caregivers can take from your shoulders is a positive action toward relieving your stress.

Obviously health risks such as smoking should be ceased. The use of nicotine uses up precious available oxygen in the system and therefore should be stopped to allow as much oxygen as possible to exist in the body.

One last thing to remember is to watch physical symptoms. Always record how you feel and make sure you tell your doctor of the slightest change in the way you feel. Listen to the signs your body is giving you in order to stay on top of your condition. Remember
CHF is a condition that can be coped with and treated
but you must alter your lifestyle to get the best quality out of your life.

What is a heart-rate monitor?

Monitoring your heart rate is easy: If you're living
you've got one. A heart rate monitor allows you to effectively train at your target heart rate for optimal results during competition. First you’ve got to understand how monitors work. Most look like wristwatches and combine timekeeping functions with heart monitoring. For constant heart rate readout
purchase one with a chest strap transmitter that sends heart data to the wrist unit. Devices without a chest strap provide heart rate data but only when you are touching the unit with your hand. If you decide on buying one
lower you can find a few examples of what’s available
plus some characteristics.

One of the leading manufacturers is Polar (www.polar.fi)
which offers
amongst many other
these products:

Polar FS1

Heart rate monitor target zone with audible high/low heart rate monitor alarm. It displays heart rate and exercise duration during exercise. Has the option to recall total exercise duration and average heart rate after exercise. It’s clock has selectable 12/24 hour display. It includes T31 chest heart rate monitor transmitter and elastic strap. It is available in dark blue or yellow colors. This is just the thing for beginners and basic exercises.

Polar AXN 700

This heart rate monitors offer a complete set of features for hiking
climbing
mountaineering
skiing or other outdoor activities. It has a titanium case and the following additional features: resting heart rate test
slope counter
3
sets of heart rate limits and bearing setting. Amongst the usual specs of an heart rate monitor
you can also find:

HeartTouch™
button-free operation of wrist unit - lap information can be momentarily displayed by touching the Polar wrist unit to the chest transmitter belt.

Polar OwnCodeฎ prevents cross-talk from other heart rate monitors. As more and more people use heart rate monitors today
preventing cross talk from other devices in-group situations at the gym or when jogging with a friend becomes essential. The unique coded technology blocks unwanted signals from other heart rate monitors
ensuring disturbance-free transmission of your heart rate data.

Another manufacturer is Reebok (www.reebok.com)
where I found a few designs of heart rate monitor
presented below:

Reebok Personal Trainer Heart Monitor – It measures your heart rate to ECG accuracy. Displays time of day
calendar
and has a daily alarm function. Scan Sequence – Just press a button
unit will display average heart rate
highest & lowest heart rate and total exercise time. Contour Lite Transmitter included.

Reebok Precision Trainer Monitor

It has a heart rate zone high / low limit in 1 beat steps for exact heart zone
an out of zone alarm audible warning when out of zone. It displays heart rate and percentage of maximum heart rate. You don't have to calculate what the percentages should be
since it does that for you. For example: 99 Hour stopwatch with 50 lap memory plus an accumulated time in target zone. The triple display is it’s main feature
which makes it special
an can be swapped trough: Time of Day
Heart rate and percentage of maximum heart rate or
Stop Watch
Heart rate and percentage of maximum heart rate or
Time in Zone
Heart rate and percentage of maximum heart rate.

For more information on heart-rate monitors
you should visit the following sites:

www.heartratemonitor.co.uk/
www.heartmonitors.com/
www.consumersearch.com/www/health_and_fitness/heart-rate-monitors/
www.epinions.com/well-Supplies-Home_Diagnostics-Heart_Rate-All

Healthy heart awareness is coming up in February. Do you really know if you have a healthy heart? How do we know? We only know after something happens. We always think it can’t happen to us.

Having a healthy body gives you a healthy heart. So here are some tips to keep your body healthy.

1. You need to take a really good vitamin. What does that mean? Expensive? No. I mean a vitamin that does dissolve in your body so your body benefits the vitamins in it. I only know of one vitamin that is fructose compounded that benefits our bodies by absorbing 95% of the vitamins
instead of just passing through our bodies.

What is fructose compounding? Fructose is a natural fruit sugar your cells crave and it is easily absorbed in the bloodstream. This process is designed to pre-bind a fructose molecule to a mineral so the mineral won’t bind with nutrients in the digestive system. The fructose compounded mineral are designed to be absorbed more easily into the bloodstream and delivered to your cells and thus to your tissues
organs and the rest of your body. Thus making you body healthy.

2. Exercise – You need to keep your body moving. We are suppose to walk at least 10
0
steps a day. The best way to monitor that is to have a walking monitor that can be clipped to your belt or pants. Then keep track of how many steps you take and then if they are aerobic. Which will get you heart pumping. When you get your heart pumping you are getting your body moving and getting your body in better shape all around.

3. Food – We need to eat more vegetables and less processed foods. We need to get back to making dinners instead of using processed foods that are easy and quick. I fall into that category. I’m in the process of retraining myself in making better choices for my family. Life is busy and it’s just easier to use pre-made meals. Tip: On Sunday make it family cooking day. Get everyone in the kitchen and make 5 dinners for the week. Put in the freeze when cooled. Then during the week pull out dinner from the freezer and leave in fridge to thaw while at work. It is something to get used to but it makes Sundays very memorable.

These are simple changes but they could save you or someone you love from something very serious. It only takes a few good changes and you can have a better healthier life.

Cardiovascular disease
also known as CVD
is the number one killer of men and women of all ethnic groups in the United States. Cardiovascular diseases include such ailments as high blood pressure
arrythmia
valve disease
congestive heart failure and stroke. Though worries of more "high profile" diseases such as breast cancer are on the forefront in many women's minds
the hard truth is that one in four women are affected with some form of cardiovascular disease.

Risk factors for cardiovascular diseases are things such as high blood pressure
obesity
abnormal blood glucose
and even the use of tobacco
among other factors. When caught at an early age
these risk factors can be muted to help prevent manifesting themselves as cardiovascular disease later on.

Altering your lifestyle can help to lower your chances for cardiovascular diseases. Such alterations as eating a diet that is low in fat and cholesterol
adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet
drinking enough water daily
and exercising for half an hour a day are all ways that physicians suggest can assist in lowering your chances for cardiovascular disease.

Cardiovascular diseases are known as silent killers
as they often have no symptoms. If you think you may be having any symptoms of heart disease
you should speak to your doctor about the many tests available. Doctors often begin with simple tests
the results of which can lead to tests that are more complex.

In connection with cardiovascular disease are "extra" heartbeats
which typically happen when there is an irritation in the lower part of the heart's pumping chambers. They interrupt the normal heart rhythm
which can feel like a missed beat. This can actually be a harmless "quirk" of your body's functions
or can lead to problems that are far more serious.

If a woman has these palpitations or any other symptoms such as dizziness
blurred vision
or shortness of breath
she should contact her doctor right away. A complete medical history
physical exam
and other tests will be run to determine the cause of these behaviors
which can be anything from stress-related behavior to something far more dangerous. The advice and consultation of a physician where heart disease is concerned is the only way to go.