The Heart is a muscle too
SO if you've been doing strength training to keep those bones and joints healthy and strong, good for you. Your spine, hips, feet and legs will thank you for the rest of your life. But you're not done. Strength is one thing. Endurance and strength are another matter.
Your heart is a muscle. You know that. And, like any muscle, if you don't keep it in condition, it will atrophy and begin to whither and die. Remember that cliched expression "If you don't use it, you loose it?" True for your little heart, too. In order to keep heart disease at bay, and keep on with a productive, heart healthy lifestyle post-menopause, you need to keep that muscle conditioned, toned, and in optimal working order.
AEROBIC exercise was the king of the hill in the 1980's. Every one who was anyone had an exercise program devoted to a good, sweaty cardio workout. From Jane Fonda, to Richard Simmon's Sweating to the Oldies. Why were these so popular ( and lucrative)? Because they were based on the premise that aerobic exercise, or cardio conditioning, helped burn fat, make you lean, and increased your overall health. It conditioned your heart - which you will remember is muscle - into a strong and highly functioning muscle. With regular aerobic exercise, endurance builds, overall strength and tone increases, and mood is elevated. Ever heard of that "runner's high?"
It's a fact that heart disease rises in women post-menopause due to estrogen depletions. These depletions can cause lipids ( FATS) to increase and store within your arteries. They get stuck there and clog up your natural blood flow, leading to a myriad of problems systemically and cardiovascularly. Some research has shown than maintaining an aerobic exercise workout into and after menopause may help prevent these changes which can lead to cardiovascular disease.
Regular aerobic conditioning has also been shown to have a positive effect on reducing the risks of Type II Diabetes, hypertension ( high blood pressure) and even the chance of having a stroke. Again, the muscle conditioning and strengthening aspect of aerobics all contribute to this.
There are numerous ways to get aerobic exercise. Biking, spinning, hiking, swimming, tennis, P90X, Insanity, Zumba, basically any physical activity that uses most or all of the large muscle groups in the legs, back and stomach. Anything that gets your heart pumping. And this is a strengthening workout, so stretching and then cooling down are A MUST. You can't go from 50 minutes of jumping around to stopping cold turkey. That's more of a shock to your heart than the workout! Most gyms have fitness trainers on staff, as do physical therapy departments in clinics and hospitals. Consult with one of them before starting ANY workout regime. Better yet, hire a fitness trainer to get you started and on your way to a happy, healthier heart.
Here's one final thought: You need your heart. You need it to work, otherwise you will not be able to live into maturity and old age, productive and able to do what you would like to do. That thought is what makes me get on that treadmill regularly.
Your heart is a muscle. You know that. And, like any muscle, if you don't keep it in condition, it will atrophy and begin to whither and die. Remember that cliched expression "If you don't use it, you loose it?" True for your little heart, too. In order to keep heart disease at bay, and keep on with a productive, heart healthy lifestyle post-menopause, you need to keep that muscle conditioned, toned, and in optimal working order.
AEROBIC exercise was the king of the hill in the 1980's. Every one who was anyone had an exercise program devoted to a good, sweaty cardio workout. From Jane Fonda, to Richard Simmon's Sweating to the Oldies. Why were these so popular ( and lucrative)? Because they were based on the premise that aerobic exercise, or cardio conditioning, helped burn fat, make you lean, and increased your overall health. It conditioned your heart - which you will remember is muscle - into a strong and highly functioning muscle. With regular aerobic exercise, endurance builds, overall strength and tone increases, and mood is elevated. Ever heard of that "runner's high?"
It's a fact that heart disease rises in women post-menopause due to estrogen depletions. These depletions can cause lipids ( FATS) to increase and store within your arteries. They get stuck there and clog up your natural blood flow, leading to a myriad of problems systemically and cardiovascularly. Some research has shown than maintaining an aerobic exercise workout into and after menopause may help prevent these changes which can lead to cardiovascular disease.
Regular aerobic conditioning has also been shown to have a positive effect on reducing the risks of Type II Diabetes, hypertension ( high blood pressure) and even the chance of having a stroke. Again, the muscle conditioning and strengthening aspect of aerobics all contribute to this.
There are numerous ways to get aerobic exercise. Biking, spinning, hiking, swimming, tennis, P90X, Insanity, Zumba, basically any physical activity that uses most or all of the large muscle groups in the legs, back and stomach. Anything that gets your heart pumping. And this is a strengthening workout, so stretching and then cooling down are A MUST. You can't go from 50 minutes of jumping around to stopping cold turkey. That's more of a shock to your heart than the workout! Most gyms have fitness trainers on staff, as do physical therapy departments in clinics and hospitals. Consult with one of them before starting ANY workout regime. Better yet, hire a fitness trainer to get you started and on your way to a happy, healthier heart.
Here's one final thought: You need your heart. You need it to work, otherwise you will not be able to live into maturity and old age, productive and able to do what you would like to do. That thought is what makes me get on that treadmill regularly.
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