Tag Archives: heart rate

Fall is in the air!

13 Friday Oct 2017

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If Fall weather is leaving you feeling kind of chilly, wear something red! According to color therapists, just looking at the color red can physically warm us up. That’s because red is the longest wavelength of visible light – just shy of infrared radiation, or heat… And it helps boost our heart rate and circulation.

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Go ahead – hug someone!

09 Friday Jun 2017

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Did you know that hugging can keep us healthy? The hug receptors in our skin send signals to the vagus nerve – which lowers our heart rate and blood pressure. Hugging also releases the bonding chemical oxytocin, which has been shown to decrease the risk of heart disease.

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Add stair climbing to your workout mix!

30 Tuesday May 2017

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Even if you’re fit enough to run a 5‑K or take a spin class – climbing a staircase can still leave you breathless. Cardiologist Dr. Nieca Goldberg says unless you’re a StairMaster junkie, climbing stairs can elevate your heart rate quickly, leaving you short on oxygen. Especially since you’re essentially doing uphill lunges and fighting gravity, while lifting your whole bodyweight one leg at a time. And running up 20 stairs versus running 20 steps on flat terrain combines aerobics with strength training. So yes, even if you’re in great shape, a flight of stairs can leave you gasping.

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Need to chill out fast?

24 Wednesday May 2017

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Load these two classical pieces on your phone: Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” and “Air on a G String” by Bach. Both are about 70 beats per minute – which mimics your resting heart rate. So listening to them can slow your breathing, and heart rate, to a calmer pace.

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To reduce stress in under a minute:

15 Monday May 2017

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Inhale deeply, while raising your shoulders toward your ears. Then exhale slowly, and push your shoulders down. Repeat 5 times. Stress management experts say combining a shoulder shrug with deep breathing releases tension in our neck, shoulders and upper back. It also produces endorphins, which cancel out stress hormones, and reduce heart rate and blood pressure. Allowing you to literally shrug off your stress in under 60 seconds.

Make some time for YOU!

10 Friday Feb 2017

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No matter how busy our lives are, research shows we need to give ourselves some mandatory downtime. Even if it’s just half an hour reading a novel, doing some scrapbooking, or playing a video game – it can lower your heart rate while simultaneously lifting your mood. It’s like a mental vacation that distracts us from negative thoughts. So don’t feel guilty having some “me” time every day.

Having trouble sleeping?

28 Wednesday Dec 2016

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Stop paying bills or watching the financial news before bed. The National Sleep Foundation says 27% of people are kept awake by money worries. Instead, Dr. Rubin Naiman, a sleep specialist from the University of Arizona, says to watch a comedy before bed. Laughter reduces blood pressure and decreases your heart and respiratory rate, helping you relax.

Do this at your next spin class…

30 Friday Sep 2016

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If you love a good spin class – like Soul Cycle – get up out of the bike saddle to burn more calories. Because when your rump is off the seat, oxygen consumption jumps, which means you’ll get fitter faster. That’s according to the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. That’s because you’re having to support your body weight, so your lungs and heart are forced to work harder.

Anger isn’t worth the stress you put your body through!

23 Tuesday Aug 2016

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If you’ve just had a screaming match with someone – be careful for the next 2 hours. Because your heart attack risk will be over 8 times higher than normal. That’s due to the stress hormones flooding your body – and the rise in blood pressure and heart rate. So the next time you get riled up by a fight – or you get angry at traffic – ask yourself if it’s worth a medical emergency. Then, take slow, deep breaths. That’ll help relax your blood vessels and slow your heart rate, so you can get out of the anger-induced danger zone.

Being nice reduces stress!

12 Friday Aug 2016

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A study in PLOS One found that people who did kind acts – like holding the door for someone, or giving a friend a small gift – had lower heart rates and less stress. Because being kind and generous releases waves of calming brain chemicals that boost our mood and our health.