How I ran for my health last Saturday

This Saturday, I decided to do something worthwhile instead of listlessly staring at the TV. Shamed into submission by my bulging tummy fat, I got into a pair or tracks and sneakers and headed off to the local park for an hour long session of running. Now, there were a couple of challenges. I wish to share here how I was able to combat them.
Despite having a good speed and muscular strength, enough to fare well in 800 m and 3000 m cross country races, I always run out of breath, courtesy, asthma attacks. Asthma, being a genetic problem, dampens my stamina every time I push my muscles to the brink. If I prolong the punishment, the wheezing sticks on for a week, till I pump out asthma inhalers. To beat breathlessness and build stamina, I discovered this trick.

• Start with a normal paced walk and as you gain momentum, progress to a brisk walk.
• Walk briskly till you feel your body warming up. There is no time limit to this as different people have different thresholds. Warming up is essential as suddenly doing vigorous exercise such as running is likely to give you soreness and sprains. You may also stretch your body for warm ups.
• After the warm up, start your run. Run at a moderate pace and not to your full capacity. Remember that it’s stamina not speed that lasts in a marathon (Slow and steady wins the race)!
• Run till you just start getting breathless. Again this is a variable factor. For me, two rounds in the park, which amounts to some 400 m, did the trick.  Slow down into a brisk walk.
• Walk at a moderate speed or slow speed till you catch your breath. DO NOT SIT DOWN OR STOP. It will only serve to aggravate tiredness and you will lose the will to continue. At this stage I started feeling the constricting sensation of wheezing. I combined a brisk walk with deep breathing exercises.
• A couple of rounds later, you will start breathing normally. Continue for a few more steps. Start running again. This time I was not able to run the same distance as I ran first, and got breathless faster. Repeat the do.
• After several rounds of alternating a run-walk routine, I noticed that the amount of time that it took me to regain my breath after a run reduced progressively with the number of cycles I followed. Cutting down recovery time meant my run sequences became less prolonged but more frequent. The exercise graph was interspersed with peaks, increasingly becoming closely spaced.

The Chemistry:
The advantage of the walk breather is that you get sufficient time to pump enough oxygen into your muscles. Prolonged runs deplete your oxygen levels. In an anaerobic environment, food burns to produce lactic acid in the muscles, leading to muscular fatigue. On the other hand, my workout allowed aerobic exercise, which allowed me to make optimum use of my energy. The breathers ensured that I didn’t end up wheezing.

The Effect:
I felt fresh and energized. Some good breaths of fresh air eased my stiffened lungs. I ate better. The best part is; despite not having exercised like this for months, I experienced no pain in my legs or body, because the exercise was highly balanced in its approach. I am motivated to do it the next weekend as well. Weight loss or not, I like the immediate refreshment it gives.
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Heart Attack Facts

Beating a staggering hundred thousand times a day, the heart is undoubtedly, an incredible organ. Apart from maintaining it with regular exercise and a balanced diet,  it is  worthwhile to update oneself with some wonderful insights into heart health. Of what scientists all over the world have painstakingly unraveled, here go the latest news:

• Light up your life! "Strong light, or even just daylight, might ease the risk of having a heart attack or suffering damage from one," says Tobias Eckle, MD, PhD, an associate professor of anesthesiology, cardiology, and cell and developmental biology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Steal away your friends and family to a sunny picnic this weekend, for a healthy heart.
• Love and be loved! Love your heart out this Valentine’s day! There is such a thing as a broken heart. This syndrome, known as cardiomyopathy, occurs during highly stressful or emotional times, such as a painful breakup, the death of a spouse, the loss of a job or extreme anger, said Loyola University Health System cardiologist Dr. Binh An P. Phan. It mimics the symptoms of heart attacks, though temporary and not damaging in nature. I’d say, there is no better therapy than a loved one’s heartwarming smile, so go ahead, light those candles and love.
• Pill poppers beware! Yet another danger lurks in the self prescribed pill-popper’s kitty. Heart attack survivors who take common painkillers after a heart attack have a higher long-term risk of dying or having a second heart attack, according to a new study published in Circulation, an American Heart Association journal.
• Be happy and know it! "Survivors of heart attacks are three times more likely to develop depression during the first six months after their heart attack, than people with no heart disease. If left untreated this contributes to a worse prognosis, for instance further cardiac events and possibly death.” , says Prof. Claus Vögele, Professor of Clinical and Health Psychology at the University of Luxembourg.

Being happy, loving, outgoing and careful costs little but pays more. With the latest research nodding to our parents’ and grandparents’ oft emphasized life values, we have little or no reason not to stick to them. Love thy life to love thy heart.

References: Science Daily