What is the difference between being on a personal fitness program and going to a cardiac rehabilitation session? The answer is quite simply ‘timing.’

             Personal fitness is a key element of living a healthy lifestyle while cardiac rehab happens after you have had a heart attack. Otherwise, they are relatively the same. Many people who are into personal fitness wear a heart monitor to track their heart rate and maximize their exercise. During cardiac rehab, the cardiac specialists hook you up to a more sophisticated heart monitor to minimize your risks and their liability. At some point you are going to have a choice to make, to exercise as a part of a proactive healthy lifestyle or be forced into fitness because of a crisis.

Heart disease is the leading cause of preventative death in the United States and most of the industrialized nations. The key word in the previous sentence is ‘preventable.’ Through common sense food choices, maintaining your ideal weight, regular exercise, and a stress free nervous system, you can keep your heart healthy for a lifetime.

Sixty seven percent of the population is overweight, increasing their risk of a heart attack.  Most people are aware that their weight is an issue and it can lead to serious health problems and they are just waiting for a severe enough crisis to give them the life changing wake up call.

If there is somebody in your life who is waiting for this wake up call, you can be the intervention that wards off the crisis. 

Hand them a copy of this newsletter, sit them down, and have a heart to heart talk with

the people you care about. Let them know that you are concerned about their well-being and that they are headed for a crisis. Ultimately the decision to change their lifestyle will be theirs, but it will really help them to know that you care. 

Decide together that you will buy healthier foods at the grocery store and make healthier choices at restaurants. Begin choosing QC’s or quality calories over EC’s empty calories, during all your meals. There are examples of each in The 100 Year Lifestyle Workout book if you would like to use it as a reference.

Next, decide to Get Your ESS in Shape:  Endurance, Strength and Structure. All three are essential to a healthy heart and quality of life as you age.

There are several key appointments that you will want to make to help you on this journey which may prevent you from needing that dreaded trip to the emergency room and cardiac rehab center. If you have a history of heart disease, consult your cardiologist. Make an appointment with your chiropractor to ensure that your spine and nervous system are stable enough for exercise, and that the nerve supply to your heart is clear. If you are an inexperienced exerciser, set an appointment with a personal trainer, or for more privacy in your fitness journey you can visit the online calorie tracking and personal training program at www.100yearlifestyle.com.