Use Your Head While Helping Your Heart

07/07/08 Living Well

Longer days mean more opportunities to be active. Increase your activity and stay safe this summer.

Keep your cool

• As temperatures rise, so can your heart rate. Pay attention to how hard you are working and slow it down on hot days.
• Remember to keep drinking water while you exercise, garden, or play. If you are thirsty, you’ve already begun to dehydrate.
• Consider early morning and early evening workouts to avoid the hottest portion of the day.
• Wear sunblock.

Watch the air

• Humid air can make breathing more difficult and your workout more labored.
• Consider less intense activities on humid days.
• Air pollution, pollen, and high ozone levels can be irritating, even dangerous, for people with lung and heart issues. Consider exercising inside.

Try it before you buy it
Thinking about trying something new? Try it out and get some instructions before you dive in. A properly fitted bike and a few pointers will start you on an enjoyable journey. Check with your local pool for adult swim lessons or with your local park for roller blade instruction. Learning how to do your new activity correctly and having the proper equipment can help you avoid the common pitfall of giving up before mastering it.

Wear a helmet
Riding your bike is one of the best activities, but doing it without a helmet is asking for trouble. Anyone who rides a bike will tell you, sometimes we fall off, crash into something, or something crashes into us. A helmet makes the difference between road rash and a good story, and a traumatic brain injury and a sad story. Wear a helmet every time you ride and make sure it fits well.

Have a great summer and stay safe.

For more Healthy Lifestyle Tips for Busy People visit Eliz’s blog at www.EmbraceYourHeart.com.

Eliz Greene survived a heart attack at age thirty-five while seven-months pregnant with twins. She is a heart health educator, freelance writer, and speaker on a mission to help busy people lead healthier lives.