Quick Heart-Healthy 
Fitness Tips

You might think that getting fit and boosting your heart health means spending hours upon hours at the gym, sweating and getting on machines that look more like torture devices than anything that's going to help you. Well, I'm here to tell you that's not true. In fact, reaping the heart-healthy benefits of exercise doesn't have to take a huge time commitment - nor does it have to be torturous. It can actually be quite fun! 

 

 

Here are five fitness tips to get

your ticker healthy and happy:
1. Start with activities you love
If you've had problems making exercise a regular part of your life, then I imagine you only think of exercise as something you have to do in the gym. But that's just not true! Things like walking, dancing in your living room, bowling and even cleaning the house can count as exercise as long as you're getting a little out of breath when you're doing them.

So sit down and make a list of all of the active things you do and find a way to make at least one of them a part of your day, every day. Then, after a few months of making those activities habits, try new ones or more traditional workouts like a group exercise class. As you get in the habit of being active and start to get more fit, you might just be amazed at what activities you like.

2. Embrace the power of 10
Think you can't get heart-healthy benefits from just 10-minute bouts of activity? Think again. Ten minutes of walking three times a day has been shown to lower blood pressure more effectively than a longer 30-minute bout of walking. Something as simple as walking before work, over lunch and after dinner is a fabulous way to squeeze in exercise - no gym required!

3. It's not just about cardio
When people think of heart-healthy exercise, they generally think of aerobic or cardio activities like jogging. But did you know that strength training (think lifting weights or doing bodyweight exercises like push-ups and lunges) can improve the health of your ticker, too? When you lift weights at a moderate intensity, you get your heart rate up. This means that you're working both your muscular system and your cardiovascular system. And when you make your muscles stronger, you make your body stronger, which helps everything. So definitely do some resistance training a few times a week.

4. Use exercise to de-stress
Stress plays a critical role in heart health, and exercise is great at kicking stress to the curb. Learn to see exercise not as something that you have to do, but instead as something you want to do because it makes you feel good. While most workouts will pump up your feel-good endorphins, workouts like yoga, Pilates and Tai Chi are especially good for de-stressing and improving the mind-body connection. Try 'em!

5. Support your efforts with a healthy diet
Working out - as awesome as it is - is only part of the heart-health equation. Eating a nutritious diet that's rich in fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean proteins and healthy fats is key to overall health, along with helping to give you the energy you need to power through those workouts and your everyday life.

Eggs and Canadian Bacon in Pita Pockets Recipe
Makes: 4 servings
Start to Finish: 15 minutes 
  • 1 cup refrigerated or frozen egg product, thawed, or 4 eggs, slightly beaten
  • 3 ounces Canadian-style bacon, finely chopped
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • 2 tablespoons sliced green onion (optional)
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • Nonstick cooking spray
  • 2 large whole wheat pita bread rounds, halved crosswise
Directions:

In a medium bowl, stir together egg product, Canadian bacon, the water, green onion (if desired), and salt.

 

Lightly coat an unheated medium nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat over medium heat. Add egg mixture to skillet. Cook, without stirring, until mixture begins to set on the bottom and around edge. Using a spatula or a large spoon, lift and fold the partially cooked egg mixture so the uncooked portion flows underneath. 

 

Continue cooking about 2 minutes or until egg mixture is cooked through but is still glossy and moist.  

 

Remove from heat. Fill pita halves with egg mixture.

 

Nutrition Information:
 
Per serving (a half): 148 calories, fat (g) 2, chol. (mg) 11, sat. fat (g) 1, carb. (g) 19, fiber (g) 2, sodium (mg) 585, percent daily values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Top 10
Heart-Healthy
Foods
  • Yogurt
  • Raisins
  • Whole Grains
  • Beans
  • Salmon/Fish
  • Nuts
  • Chocolate
  • Tomatoes
  • Berries
  • Pomegranates

Are You Heart Healthy?

 

Take the right step forward for your health and visit one of our three

Catskill Regional Medical Group Primary Care offices to get your heart check-up!

 

Same day appointments and walk-ins welcome.


1st Floor Ambulatory Service Bldg.  
68 Harris Bushville Road 
Harris, NY 12742 
845-791-7828

8881 State Route 97 
Callicoon, NY 12723 
845-887-5693



36 Pearl Street 
Livingston Manor, NY 12758 
845-439-3579


This message brought to you in partnership with Catskill Regional Medical Center.

Catskill Regional Medical Group

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