This is the fifth week of a 12-week program where we will adapt the principles outlined in Dr. Kelly Traver’s life-changing book, “The Program.” Those of you who are learning about this program are welcome to join. As a participant in this 12-week program, you will be expected to contribute as follows:
- Show up and comment weekly.
- Undertake the weekly exercises and report on your efforts.
- Playfully and enthusiastically encourage others who comment.
This week’s chapter on keeping our heart healthy is jam-packed with practical strategies. Here are the highlights of week 5:
Heart Disease Is Preventable—If You Take Action
Heart disease is the number-one killer of men and women. According to Dr. Traver, however, leading a healthy lifestyle by following these guidelines can help prevent the development of heart disease:
- Don’t smoke.
- Keep your blood pressure less than 130/80 mm Hg (millimeters of mercury)—the lower the better.
- Keep your blood sugar level in the normal range.
- Keep your LDL cholesterol level (the bad one) less than 130 mg/dl (milligrams per decileter), preferably less than 100 mg/dl.
- Keep your HDL cholesterol level (the good one) above 40 mg/dl if you are a man and above 50 mg/dl if you are a woman.
- Keep your triglycerides low.
- Maintain a normal weight, stay physically active and eat a healthy diet.
- Develop good coping and stress management skills.
Dr. Traver also reminds us that while cardiovascular disease is associated with heart attacks, the brain may also be involved. She explains that a stroke is essentially a heart attack of the brain and describes the symptoms of both heart attacks and strokes, since quick medical attention is essential.
Because exercise is a key component of prevention, Dr. Traver concludes her chapter on prevention of cardiovascular disease by recommending that we incorporate resistance exercise into our weekly workouts. From pages 155 through 165, Dr. Traver outlines how to perform squats, modified lunges, standing single-leg calf raises, push-ups, the “row,” overhead presses, lateral pulls and basic crunches. If you haven’t purchased the book, you can find basic resistance exercises online here.
Exercise 1: Find Out and Record Your Key Health Measures
Find out and record your key health measures—your blood pressure, blood sugar level, LDL and HDL cholesterol levels and triglyceride level—so you will have a baseline against which you can measure your progress.
Exercise 2: Add Resistance Training to Your Workout
About three times a week on alternating days, set aside 15 to 20 minutes to engage in resistance training. Begin with 2 or 3 repetitions of each exercise until you can comfortably do 15 repetitions. When you can complete 15 repetitions of an exercise, begin to work toward completing 2 sets of 15 repetitions. Begin with light weights (1, 3 or 5-pound weights, depending upon you current level of strength) and gradually work your way higher in small increments as your strength increases.
Exercise 3: Do Your Homework and Show Up
Review last week’s goals and decide on this week’s short-term goals. Leave a comment with your long-term and short-term goals in response to this blog post.
I look forward to reading this week’s comments from readers who are participating in this 12-week program.
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