Heart Failure Recovery Support Team

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Rebounding, or jumping on a mini trampoline, has so many health benefits! 🩺

I bought one during the pandemic, and found out that it is so fun - and easy on your joints. 😊

Adding music will keep you going. I started with a few minutes and worked my way to 30 minutes, adding upper body movements to work out my entire body. 💪

Try rock and roll, disco or electronic dance music - Carl Craig is my favorite - but use whatever gets you moving! 🎶

Of course, check with your healthcare provider as appropriate when starting a new workout routine.

So try something new this winter, and get jumping! 💥

Looking for a new exercise to keep your heart healthy this winter?

Try working out on a mini trampoline!

There is growing evidence that is much more than a kid’s toy, it’s an efficient type of exercise.

Some studies have found that using one - it is also called rebounding - improves balance, improves heart and improves pelvic floor health - with much less stress on joints than high-impact exercise.

And, it’s fun!

More on the benefits of mini trampoline workouts - including benefits for weight loss - to come.

(Source: “Put Some Bounce in Your Day” by Perri Ormont Blumberg, The New York Times, Tuesday November 15, 2022)

Did you know that only 31% of adults in the United States support their cardiovascular system and immune system by lifting weights twice a week for at least 20 minutes?

Be part of the 31% - and challenge yourself this week - start with weights that seem easy for three sets of 8-10 repetitions, and SLOWLY build from there…

Of course consult your healthcare professional first… and be sure to learn how to life weights safely from a trainer or other expert! 💪❤️😊

How to Fall Back! 🍁

Everyone here in the United States (except Arizona and Hawaii) will be gaining an hour on Sunday as we end daylight savings time.

How to prepare…

Cherish that extra hour of sleep (unless your toddlers and pets still wake you up like clockwork!)

If you know you can’t sleep that extra hour, try pushing your normal sleeping time back half an hour for the next few nights so that you body is more in alignment with the “new” time.

Also, try working out in the morning next week! Your body resets itself with morning light.

Don’t despair if you feel a little more hungry in the late afternoons, especially next week, as you adapt to your new timeframe. Eat a snack with protein or fat paired with some fiber.

Keep busy and create! Take on that indoor remodeling or craft project. A sedentary lifestyle is associated with less life satisfaction and more depression, according to psychiatrists. So get creative - homemade holiday cards, anyone? 😊

To boost immunity, especially during flu season, keep up your pandemic precautions.

According to Dr. Helen Chu, epidemiologist and infectious disease physician at University of Washington School of Public Health, “Probably the most important thing that people can do right now is get both their up-to-date Covid booster shots and their flu vaccines as soon as possible.”

If you have a weakened immune system, wearing a mask in public indoor places helps protect against all kinds of viruses, not just the coronavirus.

Last, keep up your good hygiene practices - hand washing, keeping safe distances when you are not well, and staying home if you are really ill.

(Quoted liberally from Hannah Seo, “Give Yourself a Boost for Sickness Season”, October 25, 2022 New York Times)

To boost immunity, especially during flu season, curb your smoking and your alcohol intake.

Research shows that exposure to cigarette smoke and drinking to excess can suppress your immunity. Drinking in excess is defined as more than two drinks per day for men or one drink per day for women.

Consider minimizing alcohol consumption and quitting smoking to help reduce your risk of infection this fall flu season! 💪💪💪

(Quoted liberally from Hannah Seo, “Give Yourself a Boost for Sickness Season”, October 25, 2022 New York Times)

To boost immunity, especially during flu season, stay active. 🚶🏻‍♀️💃🏻🕺🏾🎯

In one study of over 1,000 patients, “the No. 1 lifestyle factor that emerged was physical activity”, stated the lead investigator, Dr. David Nieman.

What does that mean?

Those who exercised 5+ days per week were 43% less likely to get a respiratory tract infection than those who exercised less than one day a week in this three-month study.

Not an exercise rockstar? Don’t despair!

Even those who did even a 20-minute brisk walk once a week were better off than those who did not.

Exercise stimulates immune cells to “patrol the body” for virus-infected cells to identify and eliminate them, says Dr. Nieman. Just a few hours of moderate exercise per week - yard work, walking or dancing! - is enough to get those cells circulating optimally.

So get out there and dance!

(Quoted liberally from Hannah Seo, “Give Yourself a Boost for Sickness Season”, October 25, 2022 New York Times)

To boost your immunity this season, choose a healthy diet!

To help your body fight inflammation and sickness, choose a diet full of flavonoids - brightly colored fruits and vegetables such as berries, citrus fruits, kale and red cabbage.

In Dr. Nieman’s study (see previous posts) people who ate 3+ servings of fruit a day had fewer respiratory infections throughout the year than those who did not.

Other sources of flavinoids are tea, coffee, dark chocolate (yay!) and some whole grains like buckwheat.

Especially if you are following a healthy diet, supplements that claim to improve immune health may not provide additional support. Check with your healthcare provider to be sure.

(Quoted liberally from Hannah Seo, "Give
Yourself a Boost for Sickness Season", October
25, 2022 New York Times)

To boost your immunity this season, embrace rest.

If you’re suddenly not feeling good or feeling tired, or workouts now seem more difficult, your body may be signaling that rest is in order.

Good sleep of general 6-8 hours per night increases your ability to fight infection, and increases your ability to regulate stress.

Everyday stressors - caretaking a loved one, a job, or a stressful drive - can weaken your immune system!

Ways you can reduce that stress include mindfulness exercises like meditation, yoga, or even just doing something pleasurable or fun.

So listen to your body - then do something fun or relaxing if it asks for it today!

(Quoted liberally from Hannah Seo, "Give
Yourself a Boost for Sickness Season", October
25, 2022 New York Times)

To boost your immunity this season, from yesterday’s New York Times… (details to follow)

1. Get more active! 🚶🏻‍♀️🚶🏾‍♂️

2. Improve your sleep quality! 😴

3. Eat a healthy diet! 🥗🥦🥕

4. Get a flu shot, and keep up to date on your vaccines! 🎯

These simple steps will increase your ability to stay healthy this fall. 🍁

Happy September! 🍁

How will you support yourself as the days get cooler and transition to fall? ❤️

Close your eyes and take a breath.

Discover what your mind, spirit and body need - and allow yourself to take one small step each day towards those targets. 🎯🎯🎯

One small step every day. 👣

It all adds up! See where this journey takes you this month.

Share your insights here! 🍁❤️🔥

If you have a local election today, get out there, empower yourself and VOTE!
😊❤️💪

Support your heart!

Check out this heart-friendly dietary plan with your doctor...

1. Eat fewer sugary and processed foods
2. Focus on fiber-rich foods like fruits, vegs, nuts, seeds, fish, cheese, olive oil and fermented foods like kimchi and yogurt
3. Protein is about 20% of total calories
..According to a study in overweight and obese people just published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Remember, we are not doctors, so check with your doctor before starting a new dietary plan.

To your healthy heart!

What do you do to bring yourself some joy?

I take Sally out for a spin!

She is a 1965 Poppy Red Mustang convertible and she gives me such joy. ❤️

Share YOUR joy with us here!

Here is someone who brings me joy daily - my rescue dog Lola.

We adopted her from our local shelter last year right before Covid changed our lives.

She gets me out walking at least 3 miles a day!

Share YOUR joy with us here!

SAFE LIVING THIS WINTER...

As the days get shorter this winter...keep protecting yourself and loved ones from the coronavirus.

Some tips:

ELIMINATE spending time in enclosed spaces (outside your home) where people are not masked.

DON'T have close unmasked conversations with anyone, even outdoors.

MINIMIZE time spent in indoor spaces, even when everyone is wearing masks. Masks aren't perfect.

OUTSIDE if you are walking or jogging you don't need to wear a mask (unless there is a local law to do so). Keep six feet away from others outside.

KEEP WEARING YOUR MASK!

KEEP SOCIAL DISTANCING! and,

WASH OR DISINFECT HANDS OFTEN!

Note: Your healthcare providers are the final word on this, we're just recapping The New York Times' advice; consult with a healthcare provider if you have any questions.

PLEASE STAY SAFE EVERYONE!

We have been focusing on joy in the last week... love this post from Tim Tebow... 🙏🏻

What brings you joy today? 🦋

Let us know...👇

For me, it was being able to walk about a mile straight with my dog Lola a week after spraining my ankle, I missed my long dog walks! 🐾

"Don't let the behaviors of others destroy your
inner peace."
- Dalai Lama

Eat more veggies today!

Super agers eat lots of vegetables, legumes and whole grains.

Add another cup of veggies to your pasta, lunch sandwich or soup, or to your scrambled eggs.

If you are on warfarin or other drugs, be sure that you know which vegetables are good for you to add. To your health!

If you want to age and stay healthy, have a reason to get up in the morning - every morning! Ask yourself, "What gives me purpose?" and see what comes to mind.

A sense of purpose helps your body by lowering your stress hormone cortisol and damaging inflammation.

It doesn't have to be a huge thing! For example, focusing more on friends or family without distractions can help you to feel fully engaged and connected.

Here's my purpose... my family and my sweet adopted shelter dog Lola...

What's yours?

Ikigai - "a reason to get up in the morning"; a sense of purpose.

Every morning ask yourself, "what is my ikigai today?"

What YOU DO TODAY influences your rate of aging!

People who enjoy healthy longevity "share certain habits and lifestyles. We can modify aging," says Nir Barzilai, Director of the Institute for Aging Research at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and author of "Age Later".

Sooooo... what can we do today?

First, get moving!

You can start exercising AT ANY AGE and reap the benefits.

As little as 15 minutes of physical activity a day has been shown to increase your life span. Walk, hike (my favorite), take the stairs, park far away from stores to add steps, and otherwise build more movement into your day. Many experts target 10,000 steps each day for their own health and well being.

The experts say to work up to 30 minutes of aerobic exercise 3x/week plus weight resistance training x2/week.

The interaction of group sports seem to add more years... A 2018 article in "Mayo Clinic Proceedings" found that regular tennis players added nearly a decade to their lives, while gym goers only added about 1.5 years.

More life extending tips to come... and of course confer with your doctor or heallthcare professional before starting something new for you...

Post a picture of your heart boosting activity here!

Hello everyone!

I will be posting here more frequently starting today, thanks for your patience.

I've got lots of great information on how we can take care of ourselves in this craziest of times... Can't wait to share.