How Exercise Makes the Heart Stronger

Resting heart rate is usually between 60-80 beats per minute; males tend to have a lower rate than females, and the resting rate tends to fall with age and cardiovascular efficiency. Keeping track of your resting and exercise heart rate over a prolonged period of time, can reveal some interesting things about your progress.

One of the functions of the heart is to deliver oxygenated blood to the working muscles. When you first start an exercise program, your heart has to work a lot harder to keep up with your body's demand for blood and oxygen. After working out on a regular basis, your aerobic system gradually becomes more efficient so your heart doesn't need to work as hard to do the same job. This is largely due to an increase in stroke volume. Stroke volume is the amount of blood pumped out of the heart per beat. An increase in stroke volume allows the heart to beat slower given the same oxygen demands. Both of these factors, an increase in stoke volume and a decrease in heart rate; increase cardiac output, which is an indication of cardiovascular health.

Ways to Incorporate Stretching into a Busy Life

Do you have tips for a lazy stretcher? I'll sometimes remember to stretch between sets and a little after cardio, but I know I should do more. Robin, Middlesex NJ

Joint range of motion is important in preventing injury and making daily tasks, such as picking up the garbage or tying your shoes, much easier. Range of motion also decreases as we age, so stretching is something you don't want to skip.

There are some creative ways to incorporate stretching. When you are exercising with weights, stretch in between sets, particularly the muscle group you're working. After a workout your muscles are very warm and pliable. This is the best time to stretch for flexibility. Save at least 5 minutes at the end of a workout to stretch. This is when you want to hold each stretch for 15-30 seconds to give your muscles a chance to relax and extend.

Stretch while watching TV, even if you're sitting on a couch. This can be a good time to stretch the lower body. If you work behind a desk, there are many chair stretches you can do for both upper and lower body. If you have a few spare minutes during the day, this is an opportunity. The great thing about stretching, vs other exercise modalities, you don't have to save a block of time. You can stretch throughout the day and still reap the same benefits.

New Jersey Resident Honored for Happy Tails Yoga Fundraising Efforts

New Jersey Resident Honored for Happy Tails Yoga Fundraising Efforts

Tiffiny Twardowsky from Energy in Motion LLC was honored for the compassionate work she has done to make the world a better place. That work was the formation of a fundraising event, Happy Tails Yoga: A Cause for Paws, uniting yoga teachers and students in the battle to stop animal cruelty and neglect.

Rockaway, NJ (PRWEB) November 21, 2009 -- Tiffiny Twardowsky from Energy in Motion LLC was recently selected by Off the Mat Into the World to teach a multi-level vinyasa yoga class during their November 1, 2009 Yoga For Unity Conference in Princeton, NJ.

Twardowsky, along with eight other instructors at the conference, was chosen based on the compassionate work she has done to make the world a better place. That work was the formation of a fundraising event, Happy Tails Yoga: A Cause for Paws, uniting yoga teachers and students in the battle to stop animal cruelty and neglect. For the inaugural event, Happy Tails Yoga donated over $3900 to the New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Twardowsky’s company, Energy in Motion, contributed $600 of the total amount.

During the conference, Twardowsky taught with another yoga teacher, April Eicchorn from Princeton, NJ. Their session focused on “Life, Compassion & Freedom for All Beings.” Attendees were encouraged to ignite their compassion and become a messenger of hope, love and peace for animals. During class, students were guided from pose to pose while listening to motivational music and readings. Readings educated students on the humane treatment of animals and inspired them find their purpose and become active in their community. According to Twardowsky, the overall message of the class was “…to release your unique intention off the mat and into the world!”

“Getting recognized for all my hard work with Happy Tails Yoga is truly an honor. Day in and day out, I strive to teach people to be their best and make a positive contribution to the world,” Twardowsky stated. “Being distinguished for my life-long service to animals by being selected for a conference that is making a positive contribution to the world is incredible!” Twardowsky continued.

About Happy Tails Yoga
Happy Tails Yoga is a fundraising event for NJSPCA, uniting yoga teachers and students in the battle to stop animal cruelty and neglect.

Happy Tails Yoga offers donation-only based classes throughout New Jersey with all proceeds supporting NJSPCA. Yoga teachers and studios donate their time, talent and location while attendees donate money for taking the class. Classes are held different locations all year long with the majority of our class held during “Happy Tails Yoga Month” in February.

About Energy in Motion
Energy in Motion, LLC provides on-site fitness and wellness services for corporate and private clients, allowing busy people to take a proactive approach to health, fitness and stress management. Private, group and workplace wellness programs include yoga, pilates, group exercise classes, personal training and wellness seminars.

Energy in Motion’s goal is to improve participants’ quality of life and overall health by combining the science of physiology with the philosophy of yoga into a fully integrated wellness program.

Seeing the Light

Gazing up at the night sky devoid of all light pollution, Mother Nature makes me feel so insignificant. A background blackened by infinity yet brought to life by trillions of brightly shining stars speckled across the sky is a sight that can make anyone feel trivial. The chill of the fall night wind keeps my arms wrapped tightly around my waist. My body is screaming for the warmth of my car heater but I just can’t take my eyes away from the immensity of the universe. Every few seconds a star bursts across the sky, leaving only a long trail of light before it disappears into the cosmos. I can’t see this where I live. This can only be seen in a darkness that requires no signs of human civilization.

Ironic. In the morning, Mother Nature made me feel paramount! The morning sun had a yellow-pink hue that lit up tens of thousands of trees sheltering an entire mountainside. The colors of the fall leaves, contrasting against the purple-blue sky, were bright, intense and saturated. The sun’s warm rays offered comfort as I sat on the summit of an adjoining mountain and absorbed the many colors of life. Mother Nature created a vibrancy that made me feel humbled, relaxed and alive, as if the sight was created exclusively for my self-indulgence. I can’t experience this where I live. This can only be experienced where there is ample land with dense, flourishing trees.

Where I live, the trees have long been replaced by stores, houses, condominiums, apartments, townhouses, sidewalks, playgrounds, tennis courts, basketball courts, golf courses, schools, churches, high-rises, roads, high-tension wires, automobiles and people. Gone is the darkness of the universe, the luminousness of the stars, and vibrant colors of the earth. Gone is the feeling of being humbled, welcomed and empowered. Gone is the breadth, beauty, and quietness of nature here for humanity to behold. Most call that progress.

Understanding Your Body Fat Percentage

Body fat percentage refers to the amount of body fat mass in relation to total body weight. Percentage of body fat is important for 2 reasons. First, the higher the percentage of fat above average levels, the higher the health risk for weight-related illness like heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Second, the higher the body fat percentage the lower the metabolism (your body requires fewer calories to maintain your weight).

Weight alone is not a good indicator of our physical health. Two people could be the same height and weight, and have completely different body fat percentages. In this case, the amount of muscle mass is usually the factor determining the difference. Muscle weighs more than fat which is why it is possible to lose body fat and still gain weight. Following a consistent exercise routine can lead to an increase in lean muscle mass. This is the ultimate goal because muscle mass is metabolically active tissue resulting in an increase in strength, endurance and metabolism.

Your body was designed to store fat so it would have reserves of energy during famine; when you take in fewer calories than you expend, your body burns these fat reserves. However, if you eat too few calories (fewer than 1,200 per day) or cut out all carbohydrates, the weight you lose will likely be water and muscle, not fat. So, not only are you not losing body fat, but you are also slowing down your metabolism from the loss of muscle mass. Take you time; focus on the lifestyle change, not the diet itself. Lose weight slowly—one to two pounds per week—and continue exercising to maximize fat loss and minimize muscle loss.

Controlling Blood Pressure

Oxygen is the body’s fuel. Your body needs oxygen to thrive and survive. Supplied by the blood and pumped by the heart, oxygen reaches every cell of the body. As the heart pushes the blood, the blood creates a force against the artery walls. This is blood pressure and it indicates how hard the heart is working to maintain efficient blood flow through the body’s circulatory system. Two numbers are used to measure blood pressure with an average healthy reading of 120/80. The top number is called systolic; the bottom number is called diastolic.

Your heart beats in two phases, it contacts and then relaxes. The systolic reading is the measure of force created as the blood presses against the arterial walls when the heart is contracting. The diastolic reading is the measure of force created as the blood presses against the arterial walls when the heart is relaxed. This is why the systolic reading (top number) is higher; there is a greater force when the heart contracts then when it is relaxed.A blood pressure of 140/90 mmHg or higher is consider high. Over 65 million American adults now have high blood pressure and about two-thirds of people over age 65 have high blood pressure. As a result, the heart works harder to deliver blood to the body elevating the risk of heart disease and stroke, the first and third-leading causes of death among Americans. It can also lead to other conditions, such as atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), congestive heart failure, kidney disease, and blindness.

By keeping blood pressure in a healthy range, you can help prevent or reduce your risk of these serious health conditions. Lifestyle factors that affect your blood pressure include: maintaining a healthy weight, maintaining a healthy diet, limiting your sodium or salt intake, limiting your alcohol consumption, and getting regular physical activity.

There are factors that we can not change such as age, gender and ethnicity. But there is so much we can do to help prevent the onset of high blood pressure and the health consequences that come along with it. Living a healthy lifestyle is in everyone’s best interest, not so you can live longer, but so you can live free.

Necessities of Life

When asked what the basic necessities of life include, good health often tops the list along with food, clothing, and shelter. We all want to be “disease free” so that we can live life to the fullest with as little physical limitations as possible. That might mean climbing a mountain, skiing down a hill, running a marathon, or it might mean carrying the groceries up the front stairs, tying your shoe, or picking up and holding your child.

So, how do we get this necessity? We all know how to get food, clothing and shelter. However, health is not something you can purchase. It’s a lifelong journey that you strive for, work at, and maintain with persistence and determination. It means following a healthy lifestyle (exercising, eating healthy, not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, reducing stress, etc.) to prevent disease or slow down its process. Yet although health is important to us, only 3% of adults in the United States follow a healthy lifestyle. Only 22% are physical active (at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity at least five times a week). We need food, shelter, and clothing to live. We need health to live life. We know how to obtain them. The choice is yours.