We often concentrate on toning and strengthening our arms, legs and abs, amongst other muscles that make us look and feel better, but forget about one of most important one.

Your heart is the most important muscle in your body and like any muscle; it needs exercise to make it stronger. A strong heart can pump more efficiently.

When you add exercise into your daily schedule, you are helping to control or reduce your risk for stroke and heart disease.

 

One of the best exercises you can do for your heart is aerobic exercise or cardio and it uses oxygen to meet energy demands.

Aerobic exercise doesn’t mean you need to do a five or ten mile run every day, but you do a type of continuous exercise that increases your heart and breathing rate and uses large muscles such as your arms and/or legs. Try:

  • Going for a walk
  • Taking the stairs instead of the elevator
  • Going on a leisurely bicycle ride
  • Going for a swim
  • Going for fitness clasess (Spining, Zumba,Bootcamp,cardio Kickboxing)

 

Studies have shown exercise provides the following benefits for your heart:

  • Control or reduce blood pressure
  • Prevent or control diabetes
  • Reduce cholesterol
  • Increase the good cholesterol
  • Reduce stress and anxiety
  • Reduce or control weight

It is recommended that you exercise most days of the week for a minimum of 10 minutes at a time, but try to dedicate 25-30 minutes for yourself to exercise (and 50 minutes for people who need to lose a significant amount of weight). It does not have to be a vigorous exercise; any slight to moderate movement will show results.

We’re now in the beginning of March,  how have you done so far in maintaining your new years resolutions?

Here are 12 quotes, one for each month, to help keep you motivated to maintain your goals, or simply to have a positive attitude and focus on what you would like to accomplish this year.

1. “What you do today can improve all your tomorrows.” -Ralph Marston

2. “Do not let the behaviour of others destroy your inner peace.” -Dalai Lama

3. “Strength does not come from physical capacity, it comes from an indomitable will.” –Gandhi

4. “Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” -Jim Ryun

5. To keep the body in good health is a duty, otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear. ~ Buddha

6. “The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential: these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence.” –Confucius

7. “Do or do not. There is no try.” –Yoda

8. “The secret to getting ahead is getting started.”

9. “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” -Albert Einstein

10. “Slow progress is better than no progress.”

11. “Fitness is not about being better than someone else, it’s about being better than you used to be.”

12. “It doesn’t matter what others are doing. It matters what you are doing.”