If you’re like me, this weather that’s finally arrived has me itching to get out and do something. Whether its lacing up a pair of running shoes and hitting the trails or a running path throughout the neighborhood or getting my bike down from its hangers and taking it out for a spin on the open road or mountain bike trails. All I know is winter seems to be finally behind us and I want to get out and enjoy the sunshine and feel nature hitting me in the face!

If it was a long winter for you and you’re seeking some new ways to exercise outside, why not do so with your significant other? It’s long been known that there are some serious benefits to getting healthy with your partner, including a better maintaining that urge to be active outside by being able to support each other's individual fitness and diet goals. Not to mention that couples that are active together have been shown to be 90% more likely to stick to a routine than if they were going it alone. So, use that enthusiasm that's got you itching to get outside and be more active by encouraging your partner along with you for that ride, jog, even rock-climbing, but do it together and you’re going to increase that feeling of wellbeing two-fold!

Besides, it's a known fact that some outside activities also build strength and stamina, the more you do them and to the greater length that you push your bodies to increase the duration that you're participating together to meet your pre-set goals. 

Endurance: Endurance activities increase your breathing and heart rate. They keep your heart, lungs, and circulatory system healthy and improve your overall fitness. Building endurance makes it easier to carry out many of your everyday activities.

Brisk walking or jogging: Getting those running shoes on is always a good feeling. After all, going for a good run is a great way to get your heart pumping and getting the kinks out after being cooped up in your home during the winter months. But as always, you need to work up to last years pace and distance and knowing just how well your doing is important in order to set realistic goals for yourself.

A good way to do this is by monitoring your progress with a good, accurate smartwatch. One equipped with a GPS and heart rate monitor to let you know just how far you’re going and how well your body is reacting to the stress you're putting on it. One good all-around monitor is the Garmin Forerunner 35 GPS Watch  It’s a great all-around activity monitor that’s simple and easy to use. It has a built-in GPS function that tracks your distance and allows you to plot your course for repeat runs, or walks. This activity monitor also doubles as a heart rate monitor as well and it’s doing this right on your wrist, no more chest straps are needed. Using Garmin's Elevate wrist heart rate technology. It can keep track of your heart rate when you’re really moving and even at rest, so you know the kind of stress you're putting on yourself. And it has an "All-day” activity tracking capability that counts your steps, calories and intensity minutes and reminds you when to move. And if you desire, it automatically uploads your data to Garmin Connect, where you can see how you’re doing against your friends if you choose to allow them to view your progress.

Yard work (mowing, raking, digging) is another form of outdoor activity that can get your blood pumping while getting your place in order. After all, your yard probably needs a lot of attention if you’ve been stuck inside all winter. Now is the perfect time to get those fall leaves off of the grass, and pick up the fallen branches and sticks and give the yard a rake before you try starting that lawnmower of yours. And if it’s a pull crank, you may just be looking for a little help in yanking on that cord to get it started after its been hibernating like you this past winter season!

No matter what you're looking at doing this spring to get outside and be more active, you also need to remember to provide the fuel your body’s engine is going to need to make all of these things happen. One good form of energy to have on hand is GU Roctane Ultra Endurance Energy Gel.  This smooth, great-tasting gel snack that not only tastes good but also gives you a kick of energy! The perfect fuel for those looking for a snack that can also be a benefit to not only their workouts but provides a boost for those that are working their muscles outside doing routine clean up chores that require hours of work to get the jobs done.

So, you can bet you’re not going to be alone this spring as the sun begins to climb higher in the sky every day, and sets a little bit later each day. Taking advantage of the springtime warmth to get back to being outdoors and active is going to be on everyone’s agenda. The key is to keep your activities in moderation as you build up your body’s stamina and in time you're going to be back up to speed to where you were when the leaves started to drop last fall.  

Now that Spring is beginning to make itself felt across the country, you can now get outside and begin working on getting more activity, while enjoying the sun and warming weather. People that know they need to become more active because of yearly visits to their physicians who warn them that their current lifestyle is not providing enough physical activity to get their blood pressure under control. If you don’t know what your numbers are, you should not wait to find out after you’ve experienced a medical incident. Make an appointment with your physician and get an overall physical and let them tell you the results of how you fare and what if anything you need to be aware of.

High blood pressure or hypertension (blood pressure greater than 140/90 over a period of time) affects nearly 78 million Americans. Although it’s the leading cause of death worldwide (13 percent), about 30 percent of adults don’t even know they have high blood pressure. Many of those who are aware aren’t taking control of their disease. If left untreated, hypertension can increase your risk for heart attacks, strokes, and peripheral arterial disease (decreased blood flow usually to the legs and feet).

If after visiting your physician and you are told that you indeed are part of those 78 million you need to not only work at getting your blood pressure under control but you also need to monitor it so you can react if your blood pressure rises or falls so that you can take necessary action.

Using a home blood pressure monitor is a good idea so that you can track your blood pressure on a regular basis. Your doctor can advise you how often you should check your pressure and what to do if it rises or falls. One such monitor that can easily be used is the LifeSource UB351 Automatic Wrist Blood Pressure Monitor  It is a wrist based monitor that will alert you of the presence of an irregular heartbeat and provides blowrist-based and pulse rate measurements even if an irregular heartbeat occurs. It can also calculate the average of the total readings stored in its memory; a convenient way to get a snapshot of your measurements over time and provide you with an average of just what your blood pressure is over a specific timeframe.

How to use a home blood pressure monitor
Be still. Don't smoke, drink caffeinated beverages or exercise within 30 minutes before measuring your blood pressure. Empty your bladder and ensure at least 5 minutes of quiet rest before measurements.

Sit correctly. Sit with your back straight and supported (on a dining chair, rather than a sofa). Your feet should be flat on the floor and your legs should not be crossed. Your arm should be supported on a flat surface (such as a table) with the upper arm at heart level

Measure at the same time every day. It’s important to take the readings at the same time each day, such as morning and evening. It is best to take the readings daily however ideally beginning 2 weeks after a change in treatment and during the week before your next appointment.

Take multiple readings and record the results. Each time you measure, take two or three readings one minute apart and record the results. If your monitor has built-in memory to store your readings, take it with you to your appointments. Some monitors may also allow you to upload your readings to a secure website after you register your profile.

So just what are the numbers to be aware of? We have them listed Below:

NORMAL LESS THAN 120 and LESS THAN 80
ELEVATED 120 – 129 and LESS THAN 80

HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
(HYPERTENSION) STAGE 1 130 – 139 or 80 – 89

HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
(HYPERTENSION) STAGE 2 140 OR HIGHER or 90 OR HIGHER

If you get a high blood pressure reading:
A single high reading is not an immediate cause for alarm. If you get a reading that is slightly or moderately higher than normal, take your blood pressure a few more times and consult your healthcare professional to verify if there’ s a health concern or whether there may be any issues with your monitor.

If your blood pressure readings suddenly exceed 180/120 mm Hg, wait five minutes and test again. If your readings are still unusually high, contact your doctor immediately. You could be experiencing a hypertensive crisis.
If your blood pressure is higher than 180/120 mm Hg and you are experiencing signs of possible organ damage such as chest pain, shortness of breath, back pain, numbness/weakness, change in vision, difficulty speaking, do not wait to see if your pressure comes down on its own. Call 9-1-1!

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the American College of Sports Medicine all recommend at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity, or a combination of both for adults.

Intensity – Exercise at a moderate level. Use the “talk test” to help you monitor. For example, even though you may notice a slight rise in your heart rate and breathing, you should be able to carry on a conversation while walking at a moderate pace. As you walk faster, you will begin to breathe faster and have difficulty talking. At that point, you’ve achieved moderate intensity or “somewhat hard.” Vigorous exercise causes a large rise in heart rate and breathing. At this intensity, it would become difficult to talk. Most people would rate this as “hard to very hard.”

Time – Exercise 30-60 minutes per day. You can do it all at once or break it up into a few sessions of at least minutes each.

Type – Do rhythmic exercises using the large muscle groups. Try brisk walking, cycling, and swimming. Choose activities you enjoy and will do regularly in your new, more active
lifestyle. Add variety depending on the day or the season to keep your program more enjoyable.

Start by exercising on your own. Begin walking or another form of activity that you can integrate into your daily routine.

Do rhythmic exercises using large muscle groups:
Try brisk walking, cycling, and swimming. Choose activities you enjoy and will do regularly in your new, more active lifestyle. Add variety depending on the day or the season to
keep your program more enjoyable. All you really need, though, is a good pair of shoes
to get started walking. Use a Pedometer or other activity tracker to monitor your progress. Slowly work toward a goal, like maybe 10,000 steps per day.

If you have been inactive for a long time, start with short sessions (ten to 15 minutes). Add five minutes to each session, increasing every two to four weeks. Gradually build up to being active 30 minutes a day for most days of the week. Be sure to drink plenty of fluids before, during, and after exercise, especially if you plan to exercise on a hot day or for a
long time. Always cool down slowly.

If possible, measure your blood pressure before you exercise. Do not exercise if your resting systolic blood pressure (the top number) is greater than 200 or your diastolic blood pressure
(the bottom number) is greater than 115. Contact your doctor!

So, getting back to where we started, now that you have some beneficial information about how and why you check your blood pressure. It's important that "Knowing" your numbers and keeping them in line will allow you to help yourself by being more active and getting your body in better shape.

And what better time to get started then in the Spring of the new year? By walking at a brisk pace,  eating healthy, lowering your stress all these things combined can help keep you living a more healthy and active life for years to come!
 

Earlier this year, maybe it was a New Year’s resolution that you actually kept. You decided to commit to getting fitter, eating better and in the process, being more active than you have been for many years. That being said, you have seen quite a bit of improvement as far as losing some weight, trimming down a few sizes in your clothes but more importantly finding it easier to be more active because you now have the lung power and better muscle tone to tackle a healthier lifestyle that revolves around eating right and exercising. But just how well is your family doing in regard to their own wellbeing?

After all, a healthy family starts off by someone leading by example. So, if you’ve just made that decision this year to be healthier, have your wife and children jumped on the bandwagon with you to get fit? Just like you found out, eating well and being physically active every day are keys to your child's health and well-being. Eating too many high-calorie foods and getting too little physical activity can lead to excessive weight gain and physical health problems, such as type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure, which are now being diagnosed in children in alarming amounts. Obesity also is associated with an increased risk of other health problems such as depression.

You play an important role in helping your child, and the entire family, learn about healthy eating and regular physical activity. Parents have the power to set examples. Make healthy eating and daily physical activity fun, to help children learn good habits to last a lifetime. Here are some tips on how you can promote healthy eating habits and encourage active lifestyles in your family.

Today, many kids are overweight or obese. A healthy, active lifestyle can help maintain weight. It also can prevent health issues, such as diabetes, heart disease, asthma, and high blood pressure. The tips below can help your family be healthier, happier and allow you all to be more active and enjoy new activities that you may have put off because no one was up to the challenge of doing them because they were overweight!

Eating better (for children and families)

Start the day with a healthy breakfast. It refuels the body and provides energy for the day.
Let your kids help plan and prepare 1 meal each week.  This helps them to get involved with the planning and sparks their interest in eating right.
Eat together as a family as often as possible.
Take time eating and chew slowly. It takes 20 minutes for the brain to tell the body that you
are full.
Eat more vegetables and fresh fruits. Aim for a total of 2 cups of fruit and 2 1/2 cups of vegetables
each day.

Eat more whole grains. Examples include oats, brown rice, rye, and whole-wheat pasta. Try to
eat at least 3 ounces of whole grains each day.  Besides the good fiber and carbs your eating, these types of food will help you feel full.

Drink plenty of fluids. Choose water, low-fat or nonfat milk, and low-calorie beverages.

Serve a variety of foods.  Serve food in small portions.

Eating better (Rule of thumb for parents)
Reward children with praise, not food.
Do not demand or reward “a clean plate.” Let your children ask for more if they are still
hungry.
Read nutrition labels for serving size and This information can help you select foods that fit
your family’s needs.
Bake, broil, or grill foods to reduce saturated fat intake!
Avoid cooking with butter or vegetable oil. Use healthier versions like olive, canola, or
sunflower oil.
Choose snacks that provide nutrients and energy. These are essential for active, growing
children.
Ask your doctor about vitamin supplements for you and your children.

Being more active (for children and families)
Move more. Try to get between 30 and 60 minutes of physical activity each day. Short sessions
of movement throughout the day add up.
Include physical activity in your daily routine. Walk as a family before or after meals.
Make playtime with your family fun. Be active by shooting hoops or playing tag.
Be active in the home. For example, you can dust, vacuum, garden, or walk the dog. These
activities are good ways to burn calories.
Include activities, such as hiking or biking, when you go on vacation.
Know your daily calorie needs. Balance calories you consume with calories you burn.
Limit TV, computer, and video game time to less than 2 hours per day. Encourage physical
activity instead.

Now one key tool that you can use, like the “Carrot on the Stick” is using an activity monitor, that’s really made just for kids to get them interested in doing more, being more active and actually having them WANT to be more physical on a daily basis, why? Because with this new child’s activity monitor from Garmin, the Garmin Vivofit Jr Kid's Activity Tracker  that keeps your kids on the move so they can earn more gaming time if they’ve reached they're 60 minute goal time of being active! The Vívofit Jr. Activity Tracker can be managed by parents using the compatible Garmin app. From the app, you can add multiple children and see their steps, sleep, daily activities and task data when it automatically syncs³ to your smartphone. Assign tasks, find out how many reward coins each child has, and even invite the family to compete in a daily step challenge (from the Adventure Trail) — all from your Apple® or Android® smartphone. How awesome is that?

Finally, as a parent, you have an incentive for your kids to get up and get moving, all with the aid of Garmins child’s fitness tracker. Setting goals when they are younger makes it all that much easier for them to continue to be active and motivated as they grow into young adults. And since your going to be leading by example, both you and your significant other can set your own goals of being fit by using your own Garmin of choice to stay on course be just that much ahead of your kids in being fit. After all, you don’t want to be breathing too hard in trying to to be a step ahead of your kid's activities now, do you? One nice activity tracker that can go the distance for you in helping you maintain your goals and if your partner needs that incentive push this activity monitor from Garmin, the Garmin Vivosmart 3 HR Activity Tracker  their way. This activity monitor can keep both of you honest as you meet your goals and challenge your partner to do the same. The Vívosmart 3 Activity tracking capabilities include steps, floors climbed, calories burned, intensity minutes and more. Move IQ automatically detects exercises such as walking, swimming, cycling, and elliptical training. Sometimes it easy to get involved with work that can keep you sitting for most of the day. But your Vivosmart can alert you when you've been sitting just a bit too much and alert you that its time to get moving. This watch can also automatically start a timed walk or run activity. So you’re free to get up, get moving, and let Vívosmart 3 capture your active life. As always, you can review your activities later on Garmin Connect, so both of you can see just how well you're doing on a daily basis and making sure your one step ahead of your kids.

Welcome to Family Fitness, from your family oriented partners here at HeartRateMonitorsUSA.com!

Yep, it’s hard to believe but Labor Day, 2018 is just about here. In fact, it’s this coming Monday. For a LOT of people, Labor Day signals the end of summer. It’s also, for most people the day that they want to end their summer party season with a bang. This means, lots of food, from the traditional Hot dogs and Hamburgers to steaks, pulled pork, slow smoked barbecue and all those delicious sides and summertime deserts. Yes, a Labor Day cookout, family gathering or just getting all the friends together for one last summer bash puts paid to the phrase “Party Hearty”! And don’t forget all that liquid refreshment, some with alcohol, some with just plain old tremendous amounts of added sugar. Did I mention the word soda?? Always a great idea to have a cooler loaded with ice and bottled water to help slack everyone’s thirst, especially if that September sun makes you feel like its still August!

Well, having a Labor Day cookout/get-together is fine. Just keep things in perspective. Especially if you’re the one that has been trying to be fit and healthy all this year. You don’t want to blow it in one day, with trying to ingest all those summertime foods that seem to disappear once the Football season-pre-games start to appear in your tv’s schedule lineup, right?

As always, moderation is the key to everything. No one is saying that you can’t indulge in a pork-barbecue sandwich with a side of potato salad if you really want one. No sirree! But the important thing to keep in mind as your walking around that picnic table loaded with all that Labor Day party food, that keeping a reign on piling that plate full of food is something that after all the guests go home, you're going to feel pretty good about yourself.

One piece of advice on how to handle all that delicious, tempting, picnic fare, is handling it the same you would be doing at the upcoming holiday season, in regards to indulging in holiday fare. Take your plate and hit the salad items first. Selecting various vegetables and fruits prior to that potato and macaroni salads can curb that appetite down a bit. After all, remember those family members and friends that you may not have had the opportunity to see for a while. It’s easy to meander around with a plate of veggies in your hand while you catch up on everything they did over the summer. Once you’ve done the requirements of catching up with everyone, then you can head on over to the grill and select your favorites. After all, cookout foods are everyone’s favorites, I know my mouth waters when I think about sampling a nice slice of steak or savoring that sauce from a nice rib.

So, keeping things in perspective as you enjoy your food is that eating slowly, again, keeping up with all the conversations that are going on while the food is being passed along can keep you from refilling that plate, time and time again. And you’re really going to have a great time in hearing all the latest gossip from cousin Mark and hearing about your sister-in-law, talk about the savings she made in buying “Back to School” things for little Becky.

Now, to dial up that Labor Day picnic a notch, after the meal, before everyone sags into their chairs, get them up and get a backyard volleyball game started. Nothing says summertime cookout fun than getting everyone moving and enjoying some fun-time memories in the making by playing some outdoor games. And with everyone having a phone nowadays, you can be sure there will be a lot of pictures taken of those last-minute saves or spikes that made your brother Harry sprawl on the ground as he misses that ball 😊

Getting everyone active after, or even before that meal, can go a long way to boosting up everyone’s metabolism, so it can go a long way of helping everyone both digest that food and even help them to burn a few calories, at the same time, of course, that depends on how active they tend to be.

And if there are going to be children at the party, which as everyone knows makes the whole holiday worthwhile! Why not get together with their parents before the holiday and order a few children level activity monitors. This way you can get them interested in being more active than just telling them to get off the couch and put the video games or smartphones away as they stay riveted to their “Candy Crush” game or “Clash of the Titans”. One kid-friendly monitor that exceeds expectations, and allows the parents to view just how active their children have been is the Garmin Vivofit Jr 2 : Kid's Interactive Activity Tracker  Parents can manage their kid’s activity tracker by using the free app. Add multiple children, and see their steps, sleep, daily activities and chore data when it syncs to your mobile device.
Assign tasks and chores, set schedule alerts, find out how many reward coins each child has, access adventures, and even invite the whole family to compete in daily step challenges together, all from your mobile device.

And after the party, the Vivo-fit Jr. can still spike their interest by having them work towards continuing to be active every day with magical adventures. Every day that the kids meet their 60-minute activity goals, they advance in the kid-friendly adventure of their choice! You can choose between Mickey’s Birthday Surprise, Ultron’s Revenge: A Marvel Avengers Mission, or BB-8’s Adventure: A Star Wars Story. So, there is no reason for them NOT to be active, now and even as the season continues to change.

The main point in all of this is to be able to enjoy that Labor Day end to summer gathering, without feeling like you just dropped a bomb on your year of being good, both eating and fitness wise.

So, get your plans laid for marking off that volleyball court on the grass, lime works best for marking off the lines. I know that from experience. And then make sure you have enough fixings for those other people that are looking to eat a little healthier for the holiday. Turkey burgers, lean turkey sausages, and some whole wheat buns can help them and you out.

From All of us here at HeartRateMonitorsUSA.com, Happy Labor Day, enjoy it, We will be doing the same!

If your gearing up to participate in an endurance event, like a triathlon, or even an Ironman/Woman race. Conditioning your body is only one part of the training exercise. Now don’t get me wrong, it’s a large part. But if you don’t have the right kind of fuel ready to burn to get you from point A to point B, well then, you’re not going to hit your mark, heck, you may not even be in shape to finish.

Now that would be a shame if your body is in decent shape to go the distance, but you run out of gas before you crossed that finish line.

Eating, we might as well say it, “Nutrition” is a key factor in every facet of our lives. Even if you’re not pumping iron or racking up hundreds of miles to get yourself ready to compete in that Triathlon race. Eating right can make the difference between your having a good day at work or falling flat when the clock is only showing 2 pm in the afternoon!

As an endurance machine, we sometimes forget that eating well is more than just chowing down on energy bars and salt pills. We all have grown used to taking them along with us on those long runs or bike rides our energy bars  and gels, are great for providing us with that extra boost when we need it, but what are we eating when we are not pounding the pavements, cycling countless miles or swimming those early mornings or late evening laps to condition our bodies?

Keep in mind the mantra of most endurance trainers is that our own general health is the foundation of endurance fitness, and a high-quality diet is essential for general health. Most triathletes struggle to get leaner despite an appetite inflated by heavy training. A high-quality diet is able to satisfy your appetite cravings in a calorically efficient way.

Some simple things to keep in mind as you shop to fill your fridge with what you need to fuel your body's engine are:

Your plate should be overflowing with fruits, vegetables, lean protein and complex carbohydrates

You avoid the urge to binge on junk foods (including large amounts of processed energy bars and gels) Remember, while these are good when your pushing your body out on the road, and the miles are dropping behind you, remember they also have large amounts of sugar and salt that if you’re not exerting energy so they process out of your body, then your only building up a reserve of these nutrients and when not exercising they can turn into fat!

You limit your intake of alcohol to one or two drinks a day and keep caffeine to a minimum.
Supplying your body with enough fuel to burn on training days is important. After all, if there is not enough fuel in your tank, you could possibly end up breaking down muscle as your body looks for areas to draw on for energy.

Make sure you get started with a quality breakfast, between 800 to 1,000 calories, split up between pre-workout, during and after. Your first meal of the day should make up a third to half of your daily calories, to avoid getting tired in the evening and eating too much or too poorly.

Be aware that during the course of your training that if you:
Think about food all the time
Your workouts aren’t enjoyable and don’t feel like quality sessions
Your hunger spikes in the evening

The above can be indicators that you’re not eating enough to supply your body with the energy it needs to perform the tasks you’re asking from it.

On the “Flip-Side”, You’ve hit the right balance when:
Your performance consistently improves
You recover quickly
You crave sweets infrequently (people who say they’re addicted to sugar are really just hungry)

Be aware of when you eat your meals! Even eating high-quality foods, when eaten at the wrong time can cause a problem with your body’s breaking down of the nutrients to turn that food into fuel.

The rule of thumb is:
An athlete should have some sort of nutrition approximately one to three hours before a training session," says Bob Seebohar, sports dietitian, exercise physiologist, and coach at fuel4mance.com. For short and/or high-intensity sessions under two hours, Seebohar says athletes can benefit from teaching the body to rely on fat stores for energy, which requires consuming fewer carbohydrates. For such sessions, he recommends liquid-based nutrition such as a sports drinks . For sessions more than three hours, Seebohar recommends consuming 200 to 300 grams of carbohydrates one to four hours beforehand.

What you eat after a workout:

When those muscles are primed to accept nutrients, matters just as much. The 30 to 60 minutes immediately following long and high-intensity workouts are especially important. Seebohar recommends consuming 1 to 1.2 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight and 10 to 25 grams of protein after a workout. Fat, which inhibits carbohydrate absorption, should wait until a few hours later. This is probably the most neglected factor once an athlete gets ready to “Chow-Down” It’s important to eat moderately after you’ve subjected your body to a high-intensity workout or taking part in an endurance event.

Fueling your body well goes beyond eating your fruits and veggies. Carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, have several important functions in the body, and it’s crucial to give your body the right amount of each.

The percentages of each will vary depending on what type of triathlete you are; an IRONMAN triathlete will need more carbohydrates (the body’s primary energy source) than a short-course triathlete logging fewer training hours. But as a rule of thumb, athletes should aim for getting 45-65 percent of daily calories from carbohydrates, 15-20 percent from protein and 20-35 percent from fat.

Remember, one of the key ways to make sure you're eating properly with the correct number of percentages between, fats, carbs, and proteins is to do the majority of your eating at home!

This way you can cook with the freshest foods, that are low in sodium while containing the good fats that are necessary to maintain that engine you call your body.

Eat Well, Exercise Smart, and most of all, embrace your healthy, fitter way of eating. Your body at the end of your event, with thank you for it!