EVEN LOW INTENSITY CARDIO CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE
By the time I was sixteen years old I began to hang out with my mother in an effort to spend more time with her. One of my mother's favorite past times was to play the game of bingo. As an employee of the United States Postal Service she had undergone many stressful days on the job, so she relished the idea of having an extra curricular activity that she could enjoy and win some money at the same time. The thing about playing bingo in the Detroit area was that there weren't many places where you could good get a good bang for your buck.
In an effort to make the most of her money that meant one thing; we had to travel to Canada. The city of Windsor, Ontario (Canada) was roughly about a 15 minute drive from my house. The only major issue with travel between Detroit and Windsor was the fact that you had to pay $2.50 departing and re-entering the United States. Sometimes you may get hassled by border patrol and be delayed for an hour but other than that the trip was smooth.
During my time growing up I had never known any of my elder family members to be "exercisers".
They were hard workers but never were they people who owned gym memberships or attended aerobics classics. I was happy to have found some information that I could pass on to my elders. As a sixteen year old I believe that I was still considered a rookie when it came to health concepts and terms. I did not know what the word cardio meant, but I nodded my head as if I understood what the "speed walker" was saying when she spoke of cardio.
I now know that Cardio is short for cardiovascular, which refers to the heart. Cardiovascular exercise is exercise that raises your heart rate and keeps it elevated for a period of time. Another name for it is aerobic exercise. Exercises where there is no break in routine can be considered as cardiovascular. Aerobic exercise improves emotional or mental health, as well as physical health. Vigorous exercise releases endorphins the so-called 'happiness chemicals' – thus helping to improve mood and general well being.
In previous chapters I spoke with you about swimming but upon further thought I realized that not everyone in this world knows how to swim, so I felt the need to put a chapter in that would help the average person regardless of age. What we should understand here is that it is not necessary for you to pound on your body in order to achieve a desired level of personal health. By simply walking for 20 minutes or more 2 to 3 times a week you can:
· Lower risk of early death
· Increase lung capacity
· Reduce the risk of heart disease
· Reduce the risk of diabetes
· Reduce blood pressure
· Reduce blood cholesterolHere is just a small exerpt from a book in the making from my good friend, professional baskeball player, and author, Damien D. McSwine. I find it amazing that he traveled to over 30 countries and was able to track all of the natural health specialties the country offered and he put it in a book. It is in the making and I thought I'd share this with you today.
I will let you know a week in advance when this golden book is availabe for purchase or download.
