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8 secrets to training the most important muscle you have

The most important muscle that you have is your heart. Heart disease is still the number one killer of adults in the US. It builds up slowly and silently over time, and often strikes without warning. And you don't have to be over 50. I've known two guys in their 30's who died of heart attacks in the last few years. Most of the risk factors are a matter of lifestyle, some are related to your genes. So here's a quick primer on 8 things you can do to keep your heart healthier...

  1. Get control of your cholesterol and blood pressure. You should have your cholesterol checked yearly. You need to know your LDL (should be under 100), your HDL (should be above 40), and your total cholesterol (should be below 200). Back when I was diagnosed with my cancer in 2004, I also found out my cholesterol was 276. Instead of using drugs, I decided to get strict with my diet, and I brought it back under 200. High cholesterol correlates with heart disease.

    Elevated blood pressure contributes to heart disease. When was the last time you had yours checked? It should be under 120/80, and you should have your doctor check it regularly. There are many reasons your blood pressure could be high. The time to get it under control is now.

  2. Get off your butt! Regular moderate (or vigorous physical) activity helps prevent heart disease. The more vigorous the activity, the greater your benefits. However, even moderate-intensity activities help if you do them regularly. Exercise may help control blood cholesterol and help lower blood pressure. I suggest interval training (as do many other experts). I prefer Timed Interval Kettlebell Training (TIKT). This style of training, as taught in my 4-Week Kettlebell classes, lets you train your heart and the rest of your muscles at the same time.
  3. Stop stuffing your face with crap. People who have excess body fat — are more likely to develop heart disease. Excess fat makes your heart work harder. It also raises blood pressure and blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and lowers HDL ("good") cholesterol levels. Many obese and overweight people may have difficulty losing weight. But by losing even as few as 10 pounds, you can lower your heart disease risk. The number 1 reason patients sign up for my Personal Programs is weight loss.
  4. Get your sleep. To be honest, I don't know if there are studies that correlate heart disease and sleep. I found some that indicated napping reduces your risk. But I think it's common sense. So shoot for that 8 hours a night.
  5. Gain control of stress. Plenty of studies correlate high levels of stress and heart disease. Stress is a very complex subject. Your exercise habits (too much or too little), diet, lifestyle, and sleep all affect your stress levels. I like to test my patients' adrenal glands to get a direct and accurate measure of how stress is affecting them. From there, we're able to figure what you need to change to gain control of stress. Of course, simple meditation is a proven way to reduce the impact of stress on your health, so you can start that right away.
  6. Get your antioxidants. Black coffee, green tea, and red wine all are excellent sources of antioxidants. A couple of cups / glasses each day (no more than that) correlates with reduced cardiac risk. Over consuming any of these items destroys your health, so stick to the idea of moderation.
  7. If you smoke, stop. People who smoke are twice as likely to die from sudden heart attacks than people who don't. It's that simple. Cigar smoking doesn't lower your risk of death, by the way. So if you smoke, just friggin' quit already.

  8. Get some help. Most people can't do all this stuff by themselves. We have a variety of resources available to help you:

    33 Days to a Stronger-Leaner-Better You will take you by the hand and help you change your diet, exercise, sleep, and stress control habits.

    Our Personal Programs take our approach to a deeper and more personal level.

    Our Kettlebell Classes will give you the best exercise tool you've ever had.

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