Change Of Heart, Change of Gym Shoes

From one grandma to the next, it’s never too late to think of your heart. Starting a daily walking program can give you 10 years!

Dear Grandma,

I am like you – a Grandma – who is learning about natural health after a health scare. I am l gradually understanding how to eat differently. Fried chicken wasn’t a “bad food” when I was growing up on the farm, but it sure is now! But, until recently, I hadn’t exercised a day in my life! Farm living was “enough,” or so I thought. But now I am encouraged to walk daily for my health. Any advice for this Grandma who needs to get her heart into shape?

Thanks,

Sue Carol

Dear Sue,

It seems that at our age, with what we’ve been through, it would be easy to adapt to life’s changes. But let me tell you, exercise is the #1 area I’ve struggled with. It seems like it wasn’t built into my body or my mind!

In our old age, it may be too late to undo a lifetime of inactivity, but it is not too late to begin exercising. Even walking daily can bring immediate benefits, as well as future well-being. We can start now and still make a difference in our overall physical condition. Whatever health scare you faced, be it cancer, surgery or heart attack, moderate physical activity will help you feel better. It is supposed to help with mental clarity, too (and with our age we need that!).

I have heard that women over the age of 60 who exercise even 30 minutes, 3 times a week, have the heart, muscles and lungs of a woman 10 years younger! Not only that, but it can help burn calories when your metabolism slows with age. We can look younger, too!

It is good to aim for endurance exercises like walking to build the heart. For flexibility, try stretching. And from what I hear, Pilates (whatever that is – kind of like yoga and ballet together) is a good exercise for this. Muscle strength training is supposed to be good for the bones.

We should be doing all 3 kinds of exercises, but right now I am trying to walk more consistently, too. Try that in Minnesota winters! I found an indoor track at the park district to help me with this, and some people walk the malls in winter.

Don’t try to run or jog unless your doctor approves this type of vigorous exercise. But, the point is to try and increase your heart rate and breathing for 20-40 minutes, 3 times a week. This is what I have found out about how fast you should walk:

“When exercising, you should work toward your target heart rate. Your maximum heart rate can be calculated by subtracting your age from 220. For instance, if you’re 60 years old, 220-60=160. This means that 160 beats per minute is your maximum heart rate. Your target heart rate is 60% to 80% of your maximum heart rate. 60% of 160 is 96 and 80% of 160 is 128. This means that someone who is 60 years old should work up to a heart rate when exercising of somewhere around 96-128 beats per minute.”

The importance of walking and increasing your heart rate is to exercise the muscles of the heart to transport oxygen from your lungs into the muscles of your body (and back again). You have to force the heart to work to do its job better. If you don’t, the heart has to work harder to pump blood to your muscles. The stronger your heart becomes, the more blood it can pump with less effort. Try this simple “exercise” to know if you are pumping your heart strong enough:

• Low difficulty: able to sing or talk while exercising
• Moderate difficulty: able to talk, but with effort
• Heavy difficulty: unable to talk – not recommended for beginners

Remember, working out your heart is good for you in more ways than one. It helps prevent heart disease, lowers blood pressure and cholesterol levels, prevents obesity and increases mental capacity. It can also help eliminate toxins from your body, increase circulation for digestion and keep your immune system healthy.

If you can’t start walking with 30 minutes per session, start with 10 minutes. If I can do it, Sue, believe me – you can too. Just start!

Love,

Grandma

 

 

 

 

 

Grandma Barton (Grandma’s Cure Corner) is mother to Joe Barton (founder of Barton Publishing), grandmother to 6 grandkids and 28 step-grandkids, and over 3,000 Home Cures That Work members. She is a two-time breast cancer survivor with the help of Dr. Saunders and natural remedies. Grandma loves finding cures within the home to treat all sorts of ailments. With tips she’s learned on the farm and along the way, Grandma Barton brings a time-tested and trusted voice when it comes to home remedies. She really is an inspiration to us all.