Guidelines to Healthy

Living

Gavin Hall
HPE 498 Spring 2017
Benefits of Regular Physical Activity
Evidence from clinical studies, as well as population-
observance studies has shown that regular physical
activity can result in:
Improvement in Cardiovascular and Respiratory
Function
Reduction in Cardiovascular Disease Factors
Decreased morbidity and mortality
Decreased anxiety and depression
Improved cognitive function
Enhanced feelings of well-being
Enhanced performance of work, recreational,
and sport activities
Cardiovascular Disease (CVD)
The term CVD includes many medical conditions related to your
heart, such as coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, stroke,
congestive heart failure, arrhythmia, and cardiac arrest.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women
in the United States with an estimated 610,000 cases a year.
Ifyou have ever been diagnosed with CVD, or have major
signs/symptoms, it is recommended to see a medical doctor before
beginning exercise.
Some major signs & symptoms include:
Dizziness during exercise
Shortness of breath at rest or mild exertion
Ankle edema
Pain and discomfort in chest, neck, arms at any time aggravated
by respiration
 Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors
Evenif you do not show any
major signs or symptoms of
CVD, there are several risk
factors concerning different
areas of health that should
be considered.
These Risk Factors are
useful when evaluating if
you are healthy enough to
engage in vigorous exercise.
Blood Pressure
 What is blood pressure?
Blood pressure is the amount of pressure
exerted against arterial walls during a cycle
of blood flow throughout the body.
Two types of blood pressure measured:
systolic and diastolic.
Systolic indicates how much pressure your
blood is exerting against your artery walls
when the heart beats.
Diastolic indicates how much pressure your
blood is exerting against your artery walls
while the heart is resting between beats.
 Hypertension
Hypertension is the medical term for high blood pressure.
Hypertension is defined as a systolic blood pressure (top number) 140mmHG,
and/or a diastolic blood pressure (bottom number)90mmHG.
 About 76 million American
adults have high blood
pressurethats 1 in every 3
adults.
Having high blood pressure
puts you at risk for heart
disease and stroke, which are
leading causes of death in the
United States.
Recent studies show the risk
of death from ischemic heart
disease and stroke doubles
with every 20 mmHg systolic
or 10 mmHg diastolic
increase among people from
age 40 to 89.
Causes of Hypertension
Pre-hypertension and diabetes
are known conditions that can
lead to hypertension, and
several unhealthy behaviors
can attribute as well.
Smoking tobacco
Eating foods high
insodiumand low in potassium
Not getting enough physical
activity
Obesity
Excessive alcohol consumption
Effective Lifestyle Changes
Weight loss, or maintaining
normal body weight
Physical activity, usually
cardiovascular
Moderation of alcohol
consumption
Restricted sodium in diet
Dietary Approach to Stop
Hypertension, or DASH, is a diet
based on fruits, vegetables, and
dairy products that are low-fat.
Hypertension & Medication
-Blocking Agents - a class of medications that
are used to manage cardiac arrhythmias, and
protect the heart from a second heart attack.
Calcium Channel Blockers - prescription
medications that relax blood vessels and
increase the supply of blood and oxygen to the
heart.
Diuretics - a substance that promotes diuresis,
or the increased production of urine, which
increases sodium output.
Vasodilators - a group of medicines that dilate
(open) blood vessels, which allows blood to flow
more easily.
What is Cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a fatty organic substance
Produced naturally by the body and found in food
75% of cholesterol is produced by the liver
Remainder is absorbed from food
Found in foods high in saturated and trans fats
Particles are called lipoproteins
High-density lipoproteins (HDL - Good)
Low-Density Lipoproteins (LDL - Bad)
Two Types of Cholesterol
HDL - Good Cholesterol
High Density Lipoproteins LDL - Bad Cholesterol
HDLs have the ability to Low Density Lipoproteins
sweep LDLs back to the Contribute to plaque build up
liver to leave the body in the arteries
Low levels of HDL can be Plaque build up can clog
a risk factor of arteries, resulting in heart
cardiovascular disease attack or stroke
Dangers of High Cholesterol
Build up of plaque on artery walls
Increases risk of hypertension, heart attack, and
stroke
Accelerates development of other health issues
i.e. inflammation, dementia, and gallstones
Reduces overall feelings of wellbeing
Diagnosis of High Cholesterol
High cholesterol often shows no symptoms
This increases importance of having levels tested
How do I get tested?
Schedule an appointment with doctor for bloodwork
Bloodwork is sent to lab to be tested
How often should cholesterol be tested?
American Heart Association recommends once every four to
six years
Doctor interprets results along with other risk factors
Such as age, family history, smoking, diet, and physical
activity level
Cholesterol
Levels
Cholesterol guidelines
as set by the
American Heart
Association/American
College of Cardiology
How to Control Cholesterol
Exercise
Aerobic exercise can lower high cholesterol
May also decrease other risk factors of heart disease
Diet...
Avoid foods high in saturated or trans fats
Increase foods high in fiber and good cholesterol (HDLs)
Reduce Stress
Make healthy lifestyle choices
Proper exercise and diet decreases stress hormone cortisol
Medication and/or Supplements
May be needed if lifestyle changes do not control cholesterol
Should be under doctor supervision
Defining Obesity
Obesity is defined as abnormal or excessive fat
accumulation that presents a risk to health.
68.5% of American adults are classified as either
overweight or obese
Nearly one-third of American children or adolescents
are classified as obese
Excess fat is typically stored around the abdomen.
In 2013, the American Medical Association labeled
obesity as a disease
Testing Body Composition

Basic body composition

measurement is expressed
as a ratio of lean mass to
fat mass.
Skin calipers are one of
the most useful and age
old techniques to measure
body fat percentage!
Testing Body Composition
Waist and hip circumference
is an easy, priceless way to
measure risk of disease due
to obesity.
Important to quantify weight
distribution: a person may
have a large waist
circumference due to natural
size.
Waist-to-hip ratio is
circumference of waist
divided by circumference of
hips.
Body Mass Index
Body Mass Index (BMI) is used to asses weight relative to height.
Calculated by dividing body weight (kg) by height (m) squared.
Can be misleading since does not distinguish between muscle,
fat, or bone.
Risk chart is accepted with the exception of people with large
amounts of lean muscle mass.