exercise enough

                                     



                                 

Getting regular exercise is very important to your heart health, whether you are currently healthy, or already have a heart condition. Fortunately, getting "enough" exercise, and getting it safely, can be relatively easy to do for most people. These articles will tell you what you need to know about getting the right amount of exercise for your heart.

Why Is Exercise So Beneficial?

Regular exercise does a lot more than meRegular exercise can improve the function of your musculoskeletal system, your cardiovascular system, your respiratory system, your metabolism, and even your brain. And as a result, exercise can help you live longer, remain vigorous well into your old age, and to be more productive.

• Read about the benefits of exercise.

Heart Healthy Exercise Guidelines

Reaping the rewards of regular exercise does not require you to completely change your lifestyle, or neglect your work or your family. In fact, you can gain most of the benefits of exercise with relatively small changes in your daily routine.

• Read about the simple guidelines for heart-healthy exercise.

How Can I Begin An Exercise Program?

The hardest part about regular exercise is beginning it. It is easy to become bored if you start too slowly, or to become injured if you start too quickly. Fortunately, About.com's Exercise Guide has some very helpful information that will help you begin your exercise in a way that is safe and helps to maintains your interest.

• Read about beginning an exercise program.

rely strengthen the heart.

retirement developments

More than 20 per cent also placed their personal health and wellbeing at a premium, and wanted a home where they could still enjoy the outdoors.

The Strutt & Parker Housing Futures survey appears to confirm the trend for moving to retirement villages with health and fitness facilities on hand.

In the case of Wendy Prosser and her husband Neil, though, on-site medical care was just as important. The couple moved to Denham Garden retirement village in Buckinghamshire seven years ago after Neil was diagnosed with a brain tumour and rent a two-bedroom apartment at the Anchor development (0808 274 1623; anchor.org.uk), which has a pool, gym, spa and extensive grounds.

Staff are available to help with Neil’s care, and Wendy is on the hospital committee, but she also uses the gym most days and has a session with a personal trainer every week: “He makes up three different weight-training programmes for me, which help keep my strength up to look after Neil as well as getting rid of the day-to-day tension and stress of being a full-time carer,” she says.

“The facilities really are fantastic and there is a wonderful atmosphere. I can’t imagine my life without it. It has provided me with a nucleus of friends from age 20 through to 80 as local residents of the area are invited to join, as well as just village residents.”

Denham Garden has 30 acres of woodland with walking trails for residents, as well as bikes, and all these facilities are expected to be available at two new Anchor retirement villages: Hampshire Lakes and Bishopstoke Park.

One-bedroom apartments at Bishopstoke Park near Winchester, in Hampshire, start at £258,000, with two-bedroom apartments starting at £309,000.

Kitchens come fully fitted with a range of appliances and bathrooms have walk-in showers while the bedrooms have fitted wardrobes.

It is the same at Hampshire Lakes, near Yateley in Hampshire, where prices start at £215,000, or £371,000 for two-bedroom flats.

“If I want to take a day trip or go to the theatre, something that Neil is unable to do, I know with absolute certainty that there is someone there if he needs help,” says Wendy.

The panic button in their apartment and personal alarm her husband wears give them 24-hour peace of mind.

“When I go to the gym I know that someone will be keeping an eye on my husband,” she says. Health and leisure is equally as important at St George’s Park (01444 259732;stgeorgespark.co.uk), a retirement community in Ditchling, East Sussex, where facilities include BioWave infrared therapy cabins to relieve joint pain, muscle aches and arthritis.

The infrared heat is at a lower temperature to traditional saunas, which can make some people feel sick or dizzy, and the heat helps to release toxins and aid circulation.

Two cabins are being installed at the retirement village’s leisure centre and health club, which also features an indoor pool, Jacuzzi, gym, therapy rooms and salon, as well as a café and games room.

Philip Smith, sales and marketing director, said the health and leisure facilities were a major attraction for buyers who want an active and healthy retirement.

The final phase of homes at St George’s Park are now available, from £365,000 for a two-bedroom apartment in Purchase Manor and from £310,000 for a one-bedroom apartment in Rafael Court.

Access to the outdoors is also a big draw for those moving to Renaissance Retirement’s (0800 625 0025; renaissancegroup.co.uk) Fleur-de-Lis Christchurch development, built on the site of the town’s old Cornfactor building.

Recycled 19th-century bricks were used to build the 26 one and two-bedroom apartments now on sale from £275,000.

Nick Watkins, development director at Renaissance Retirement, says: “Our location is perfect for exercise because it backs on to Druitt Gardens, which means owners can enjoy an outdoor lifestyle.

“We will be putting on weekly t’ai chi classes outside as well as croquet and walking is also popular in the park, which is another added benefit of the development.”

Renaissance, as the company points out, means rebirth; and it seems that living in a retirement village gives many residents a new interest in exercise and healthy lifestyles.

health on your wallet

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Health board

The incident at Ayr Hospital started when a metal plate was unexpectedly discovered in the man's leg during the operation.

It was reported that staff could not find the equipment to remove the plate, so a member of the surgical team was sent to B&Q to buy a saw - but the DIY shop was closed.

A saw was said to have been found in a stock cupboard at the Ayrshire hospital and was disinfected before being used.

Concerns were later raised with senior management at the hospital and an investigation is being held.

Scottish Conservative health spokesman Jackson Carlaw was shocked by the reports.

He said: "This is simply incredulous. An indescribable way to treat any patient.

"Despite the UK's advancement in modern medicine this episode has all the finesse of improvised surgery on Nelson's flagship during Trafalgar.

"l would hope that NHS Ayrshire and Arran thoroughly investigate this incident as a matter of urgency."

Ann Gow, interim nurse director at the health board, said: "NHS Ayrshire and Arran is currently conducting a significant adverse event review into a recent incident within University Hospital Ayr, where standard procedures were not followed.

"The findings of this review and any subsequent recommendations will be shared with clinicians, as well as the family of the patient."

Mental health services

Mental health services are to receive an extra £85m for improvements over the next five years, the Scottish government has announced.

Some of the fund will be used to provide more care for children and young people.

There has been a 35% increase in those starting treatment with Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in the past two years.

Scottish labour described the funding increase as "pure spin".

Ministers previously revealed an extra £15m for mental health innovation.

The additional cash will also be used to promote better wellbeing through physical activity, improving patients' rights, to help GPs treat those suffering from mental health problems and providing services in community settings.

Waiting times down

Jamie Hepburn, minister for health improvement, mental health and sport, said: "Mental health services are an absolute priority of this government.

"These are some of the most vulnerable people in our country and it's vital that the health service is properly equipped to give them the support and treatment they need.

"We have been investing heavily for a number of years and waiting times have come down significantly, despite an unprecedented rise in the number of people seeking help."

However, Dr Richard Simpson, Labour public and mental health spokesman, said the share of the NHS budget for mental health had reduced.

He said: "This is pure spin from the SNP. Their cuts to mental health came to £80m a year, this additional money only sees an extra £20m in helping some of the most vulnerable people in Scotland.

"Of course additional funding for mental health is welcome, but this comes after years of reductions in the share of the NHS budget for mental health."

Dr Simpson added: "The SNP are trying to spin they are protecting NHS budgets - they are simply trying to undo some of their own damage"

'Postcode lottery'

Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Scotland associate director Norman Provan said: "There are many examples of nurses operating innovative services that improve care for people with mental health problems, not only in NHS services in hospitals and the community, but also in local authority services.

"But while such innovative services make a huge difference, they are often subject to funding cuts, and don't know how long they'll be open and providing much-needed support. They, and the people who rely on their services, need to know that they will continue in the future."

He added: "So we need to see long-term investment by Scotland's new joint integration boards in services designed to meet the needs of our most vulnerable people."

Scottish Liberal Democrat health spokesman Jim Hume said: "The Scottish government needs to give equal status to mental ill health as physical illness.

"Under the SNP's watch the number of trained psychology professionals has dropped. A postcode lottery means people in some parts of Scotland are half as likely to get proper access as people in other parts.

"We know that GPs are not referring patients for therapies because the therapies simply aren't there."

Weighty issues

After decades of moral indignation about the situation on the other side of the Atlantic, the rise in an overweight and underactive society has now become the number one public health issue here in Britain. This was further underlined by a World Health Organisation (WHO) report earlier this month projecting that over a third of Brits (33 per cent of females and 36 per cent of males) will be clinically obese in 2030, compared to around a quarter in 2010. Of greater concern are the figures relating to the proportion of the population who will be overweight, anticipated to amount to 74 per cent of men and two thirds of women.

Along with the huge impact on public well-being, the rise in overweight population also presents a clear and present danger for UK employers. The decision taken last year by the European Court of Justice (Kaltoft v The Ministry of Billund) ruled that obesity could, in some cases, be classified as a disability and that employers should ensure obese staff can work in an environment free from harassment. While many people accept it is not socially acceptable to make derogatory comments to an individual about their weight, in some situations it is now unlawful.

A recent Northern Ireland employment tribunal ruled that an obese worker was disabled and that unpleasant and offensive remarks in the workplace which had been made about his weight amounted to harassment. Employers should consider training staff to realise that this not acceptable. Shifting attitudes will inevitably take time as social norms won’t change overnight, especially when we live in a culture of media obsession over the appearance and dietary habits of celebrities.

The legal implications go much further than office banter. Here in Scotland the average weight of the male workforce has risen by three stones in the past ten years. Following a Civil Aviation Authority review of helicopter safety, operators may no longer carry passengers offshore if their body size is incompatible with push-out emergency exit windows. While this ruling may help oil firms employing offshore staff to steer around the issue, any workers who later become obese and can classify themselves as disabled may need to be considered for a more suitable onshore roles.

Preventing an increase in obesity will involve active intervention from a variety of sources. Larger employers who have the resources to focus on proactive measures are starting to recognise the benefits of investing in workplace schemes to improve the health of their workforce and reduce sickness absence.

Within the NHS, where the rising number of overweight employees is becoming a chronic issue, steps are being taken to address the problem. Simon Stevens, chief executive of NHS England & Wales, is keen for his organisation to drive forward a workable solution and has implemented a number of focused measures to do so, including serving healthy food in staff canteens; installing staff gyms in NHS premises and setting up prize schemes to reward employees who lose significant amounts of weight. While some of these ideas, like onsite gyms, may not be particularly innovative, the strong focus in addressing this issue highlights how seriously the UK’s biggest employer is about combating the growing problem of obesity. Meanwhile Tesco, another major UK employer, is also addressing the issue among senior staff, working with their partners Nuffield Health to assess the fitness and lifestyle choices of its directors.

Like our American cousins, we will likely need to be innovative in tackling obesity in the workplace before it becomes both socially and economically crippling across society. One US company has, for example, developed a digital tattoo that collects data on the wearer’s health and wellbeing which can be analysed with a relevant programme put in place to support the individual. It’s easy to see how this technology could be applied to proactively help in stemming the rising tide of an increasingly overweight workforce in the UK.

Employers must ensure they are aware of the growing legal issues around obesity – as the level of overweight Brits increases so too does the potential for unwanted legal claims.

Hard to Do

Grooming

It's such a basic thing – you get up, shower, style your hair, and make yourself presentable before you go out into the world. Right?

For us, it's not that simple.

First, the shower: It gets hot, which can make you dizzy and activate your temperature sensitivity (which in turn can lead to more symptoms.) The spray of the water, for many of us, is painful to the skin at any temperature, thanks to a symptom calledallodynia (pain from typically non-painful stimuli.) Standing for that long and using your arms to vigorously scrub your hair and body can lead to tired, achy muscles. A lot of us opt for baths, which eliminate many of the problems.

Read more: Temperature Sensitivity andProblems Showering With FMS & ME/CFS.

Then there's styling your hair. Holding your arms up to brush, blow dry and flat iron is hard on the arms. For the heat sensitive, styling tools can make you feel like you're cooking, especially after a hot shower. In some of us, they can also trigger excessive sweating, which can undo all that hard work just minutes after you're done.

It can do a number on your makeup as well.

Learn more: Hair Problems in FMS & ME/CFS & Excessive Sweating.

Wearing Clothes

Waistbands. Bra straps. Elastic in socks. Rough fabrics. Tags. These are all things that can cause a lot of pain because of allodynia. Many of us have to tailor the way we dress to avoid this symptom, or to at least make it less of a problem.

Temperature sensitivity can play a big role here, too. What starts out as a cozy sweater on a cold day can become a sweltering nuisance if the heater's set too high. A cool breeze can quickly make you regret a pair of shorts and a light cotton shirt as well. For those with both hot and cold sensitivity, deciding what to wear, and enduring the ramifications of the wrong choice, can be extremely unpleasant as you either freeze or overheat, or alternate between the two.

Get tips: Dressing for Less Pain.

Talking on the Phone

We don't normally think of a conversation as a strenuous mental activity, but when you have cognitive dysfunction (brain fog or fibro fog), it can become one.

All social interaction takes energy, and when you're not face-to-face, it takes even more.

A big part of communication is body language, and you lose that when you're on the phone. That means you have to focus more. For most people, it's not noticeable. For us, though, it definitely can be. Our foggy brains might not be up to the task at times.

Also, when you're on the phone, you may be distracted by things in your environment that the other person is unaware of. Many of us have problems multi-tasking, so your brain may essentially block out what the other person is saying while your attention is on something else. Then you find yourself confused as to where the conversation has gone, which can be frustrating and embarrassing.

Many of us have problems with language, especially when it comes to finding the right word for things. Again, it's frustrating and embarrassing, and if you know you're having a bad day, communication-wise, it can be easy to stress over the problem and make it worse, or at the very least make the conversation unpleasant for you.

And then there's they physical aspect. Holding a phone for very long can tire your arm, or your neck if you're clenching it between your jaw and shoulder.

For some tips on dealing with this issue, see: Hating the Telephone With FMS & ME/CFS.

Driving

Brain fog can be a major problem when you're behind the wheel. Some of us periodically forget where we're going or how to get there. Even worse, we may become disoriented and not know where we are.

It's scary when this happens and can lead to an anxiety attack, which makes the situation even worse and can increase other symptoms.

Some of us also have trouble paying attention to the myriad things that we need to while driving. We may not be able to process all the necessary information to be safe on the road.

A small fraction of people with these illnesses stops driving completely. Some may have to limit their driving to familiar places, while others are okay most of the time but choose not to drive on especially bad days. It's a personal decision, but one that we need to be aware of to protect ourselves and others.

As you evaluate your driving ability, it may help to get input from friends and family members who've ridden with you, as they may have noticed things you didn't.

For more on driving, see: Brain Fog & Driving.

Knowing Your Body & Adapting

The reality of having a chronic illness is that you may need to make some changes to your daily life. By identifying the things that are difficult for you, you can modify or eliminate them so they take less of a toll and leave more energy for things that are a higher priority.

A key to adapting appropriately is paying close attention to your body and the patterns of your illness(es) and taking an honest look at your lifestyle.

Fruit for Dessert

                                            

You know fruit is good for you. The high-quality carb is loaded with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber, all of which help protect against a laundry list of diseases and prevent weight gain. That’s why it’s so important to incorporate fruit into your snacks and meals (think: fruit smoothies, orange slices on your lunch salad and so on).

But what about dessert? Think having fruit for dessert feels like a bit of a cheat? After all, dessert is supposed to be decadent, indulgent and splurge-worthy—good-for-you isn’t really part of the equation.

Believe it or not, fruit makes the perfect base for desserts because it’s naturally sweet. The sugar in fruit, called fructose, is naturally occurring—it’s not added like the sugar found in desserts like cakes, cookies and candies. Plus, the sugar in fruit is packaged with so many other good-for-you compounds, like vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients.

So, how can you enjoy fruit for dessert? Try any one of these delicious ideas. Sweet!

BAKE IT

Baking helps bring out the flavors and natural sweetness of fruit. Add in some other ingredients (oats, chocolate) and you have a treat that tastes just too good to be healthy. Here are some yummy baked fruit desserts you should try:

Baked Apples with Oatmeal Filling
It’s like a tasty apple pie…served in an apple. Oh, and it has significantly fewer calories and more fiber

One baked apple, loaded with oats (a whole grain), contains 235 calories and 8 grams of fiber.

Soft Baked Chocolate-Cherry Oatmeal Cookies
It’s hard to believe that a cookie but could good for you, but this one features a healthy dose of antioxidants (courtesy of the fruit and chocolate) and fiber (thanks to the whole wheat flour and rolled oats). You can enjoy two of them for less than 150 calories!

FREEZE IT

Sometimes, popping some fruit in the freezer is all you need to do to transform a healthy snack to an indulgent dessert. Just think of frozen grapes, which have a smooth, ice cream-like consistency once chilled. But if you want to put in a little extra effort (as with the two desserts below), you will be rewarded! Try one of these recipes:

PB Banana Freeze Pop
This dessert is a cinch to make—it takes just 5 minutes to prep (not including freezing time) and features only three ingredients: bananas, chocolate and peanut butter. Need I say more? It was one of my tastiest creations of the summer!

Banana Ice Cream
Sweet and creamy, this non-dairy ice cream calls for just one ingredient—bananas! Simply freeze banana slices, puree and enjoy. You can experiment with different add-ins, like strawberries (a double dosage of fruit!), peanut butter or chocolate chips.

DIP IT

Fruit dipped into chocolate is a no-brainer dessert! Check out this recipe and nutritious dipper ideas.

Dark Chocolate Fondue
What’s not to love about a warm, chocolate dip? I’m a huge fan of fondue and I amp up the nutrition by using healthy fruit dippers. Some of my favorites include strawberries, bananas, pineapples, orange slices and cherries. You can also try other berries, grapes and even kiwi.

GRILL IT

The barbecue isn’t just for burgers! Fire up the grill for dessert, toss some fruit on and enjoy.

Grilled Pineapple Skewers
Pineapple is the ideal fruit to grill. In just a few minutes, you’ll end up with gorgeous grill marks and sweet, caramelized sugar. I love to dip it in some balsamic vinegar—yum!

TOP IT

Fruit is so good that it needs little help to enhance its deliciousness. A spoonful of Greek yogurt or a squirt of aerated whipped cream is often enough to give the healthy pick an indulgent feel.

Peach Melba Makeover

I’ve remade this caloriffic dessert so it contains just 95 calories per serving but is every bit as delicious as the real deal.

Dessert Shots

These are ideal to make for a party. With just two ingredients and five minutes, you’ll have a beautiful dessert to serve to your guests. Each shot contains a mere 20 calories!