Christmas has just passed but the gift giving usually keeps going on for the next week or two, especially if you follow the Russian Orthodox Calendar. If you do, then your Christmas is on January 7th of 2019. So, you see for those people still shopping and having a hard time coming up with the right gift for the right people, there is still time to make it happen.

One thing you need to keep in mind as you hurry from store to store is that a person’s health is probably one of the most important things to them, and to you for that matter. Helping or motivating a person to help themselves to get fit so that they can be around for a lot more Christmas holidays in the future is always a good thing and one that won’t go unnoticed. One way you can help your loved ones get fit is to get them motivated to do so by giving them a tool to help themselves be more active and set goals for themselves that they can track and monitor their new lifestyle as they strive to hit those goals. And when they do, help them to create new ones to reach. In this way, they can always help themselves improve on their way to becoming a new, healthier person.

Using a fitness tracker like the Garmin Vivosmart 4 Wellness and Fitness Tracker  The vívofit 4 activity tracker follows their progress 24/7 and lets you ditch the charging cord, thanks to its 1+ year battery life. It’s also safe for the pool or the shower, and its "always-on" color display is bright and easy to see, even in the sunlight. Let your personality shine through by customizing the screen with color themes, watch faces and text phrases or by swapping out the band for a different one.

Accessory bands are available in various colors and styles. And before we forget, changing the battery is as easy as removing a few screws, replacing the old Energizer 3V CR1632 Batteries  (2) with new ones and retighten the screws. No more dependency on having to use a charging cable!

Get Moving, the Easy Way
No need to manually start and stop your activity timer — Move IQ has you covered. It can automatically capture and classify different activities such as walking, running, biking, swimming and using an elliptical. For walks and runs, it can even start an activity timer automatically. Review the captured data later, on Garmin Connect.

Throughout your day, Vívofit 4  periodically syncs to Garmin Connect². The Garmin Connect™ app makes it easier than ever to "Beat Yesterday". Bold, colorful activity cards provide all your statistics at a glance. Scroll down to easily compare today’s totals to past results or tap in for more detailed information. Activities and other health measurements recorded by your device are presented in vivid detail. And the data you see is customized just for you and the way you move. If that doesn’t give your friends, the motivations to keep moving towards the goals they've set for themselves then you may as well get them a subscription to the "Jelly of the Month Club"!

Using Garmin Connect to have your data uploaded so that their friends, (including you) can see their progress is a great way to hold them accountable for their daily, weekly, monthly progress. This all goes a long way to making sure by next Christmas you’re going to be looking at a group of healthier friends thanks to your gift of the Garmin Vívofit 4 Activity Tracker .

Of course, even being fitter won't help the way they look in those: "Ugly Christmas Sweaters" they have on!

Happy Holidays from your Ugly Sweater wearing crowd here at HeartRateMonitorsUSA.com!

Anyone can go through the motions of working out, hitting that treadmill, lifting some iron and working up a sweat. But if your goal is to push your body through the fitness grind, with the goal of getting that body of yours toned up and ready for a summer beach, are you sure you're going about it the right way?

Today, most fitness trainers will tell you that in order maximize your fitness training in the amount of time that’s available to you on a regular basis you need to get the most out of what you’re asking your body to accomplish for you. And that means by monitoring your heart rate as you work out!

To achieve your fitness goals of strengthening and toning those muscles and your body, you need to find the heart-rate zone where your workout yields safe, efficient and beneficial results.

You first need to understand your maximum heart rate (MHR), or the peak amount of beats your heart has the potential to reach. Now a straightforward way to calculate this is by subtracting your age from 220. For example, if you're 45 years old, subtract 45 from 220 to get an MHR of 175.

Once you know your MHR, calculate your desired heart rate training zone, i.e. the level at which your heart is being exercised and conditioned but not overworked.

The American Heart Association recommends a general target heart rate of:

Moderate Exercise Intensity: 50 to about 70 percent of your MHR
Vigorous exercise intensity: 70 to about 85 percent of your MHR

Now if you’re just starting out with an exercise program, aim for the lower end of your target zone. Then, gradually build up the intensity. If you are healthy, and regularly take part in a fitness routine, opt for the higher end of the zone. But first, and this is important, you had better check with your family doctor to make sure you’re physically capable of starting a new exercise program. You need to be in a moderately healthy physical shape before you begin any strenuous exercise program, where you’re going to be pushing your body, and your doctor can monitor you to make sure you won’t cause yourself any problems. Usually, they are only too happy to support a person who is looking to getting back on the good side of that bathroom scale.

There are two tried and true methods to know if you're in your target heart rate zone:

The Manual Method: Stop exercising for a moment and take your pulse for 15 seconds over your carotid artery. Place your index and third fingers on your neck to the side of your windpipe. Multiply this number by four to calculate your beats per minute.

The Tech Way: Most smartwatches today have the capability of providing you with your Maximum Heart Rate and what your recommended “Target Heart Rate” should be. Most Garmin fitness watches, with the Heart Rate capability, can provide you with this information simply after you enter the necessary information regarding creating your profile. One such watch that fits the bill is the Garmin Vivoactive 3 Smart Activity Tracker  While it is an excellent runner’s watch, it also provided double duty as being an “All-Around” Activity Tracker as well, capable of monitoring your heart rate performance with the new “Elevate Heart Rate Technology! This watch comes preloaded with various sports activity programs that allow you to select the sports activity your taking part in, while your watch will be monitoring your progress.

Setting Up Those Max Heart Rate Zones: A heart rate zone is a set range of heart beats per minute. The five commonly accepted heart rate zones are numbered from 1 to 5 according to increasing intensity. Generally, heart rate zones are calculated based on percentages of your maximum heart rate. This is just some basic information provided by Garmin to show you how easy it is to set up and monitor your Max Heart Rate Zones.

The Garmin device with this capability uses your user profile information from the initial setup to determine your default heart rate zones. For the most accurate calorie data during your activity, set your maximum heart rate. You also can set each heart rate zone and enter your resting heart rate manually. You can adjust your zones manually on the device or use your Garmin Connect™ account.

Whichever method you use to determine your Maximum Heart Rate and Target Levels, using this information to monitor your progress is essential to your getting the most out of your workouts. By making use of this technology and having your watch send that data once created, up to Garmin Connect you will have access to it in order to track your progress and to see in what areas you need to improve on, especially if you want to get that toned body in time for the summer sun.

So, doesn’t it make sense to get the most out of your workouts by knowing and managing your own, Heart Rate Zone?

Brought to you by your work-out friends, here at HeartRateMonitorsUSA.com!

6/20/2016: The Day the Earth Stood Still (for me). The day my internist called to tell me “It’s bad. Really bad.” Ovarian Cancer. Further testing revealed it to be the worst: stage 4. Meaning it wasn’t just throughout my abdomen and bowels, but it had migrated to lymph nodes around my heart and chest. The first words from my oncologist: “Your life as you now know it will never be the same.”

Chilled me to my bones, those words.

How can this be? I’m a lifelong competitive runner, nutritionally aware, a “practice what I preach” sports physical therapist. Used to being the healer/caregiver, I never thought I’d be the one needing help: the (gulp) patient.

After listening to (and researching) the laundry list of problems I would encounter with the aggressive chemotherapy, I decided I was going to think outside the box, be proactive and use my physical therapy knowledge to deal with the predicted physical issues.

First goal: I will always walk or walk/run to chemo no matter what (yes, initially my husband had to pick me up afterward for safety reasons). Chemo was only 3.5 miles away, so it seemed doable. It did get a little tough over the winter months, but I had it all figured out. Dress warmly in layers, and carry a change of clothes in my backpack. Use the ladies

room at the hospital to “baby-wipe” myself down, change and go for treatment. My oncologist got a real kick out of this; he said in his line of work he never sees a patient in better shape than himself!

Second goal: No pain or “feel good” meds for me, no sirree; with the exception of the now legal in NJ medical marijuana……great for getting me “out of my head” and letting me sleep at night. I am now really good at making cannabutter. But that’s another story; possibly a cookbook in my future?

Interestingly, the things I was doing before: working, running, cross training, strength training, core, postural, flexibility exercises, and foam rolling are really helping me combat the side effects.

- Stiff, tight muscles? Self-active release, foam roll (and the Melt Method – thank you Sue Hitzmann) ; gentle stretching. Check.

- Neuropathy (tingling, occasional numbness and cold in hands feet)? It’s all about revving up the circulation! Gentle, (for me) sustained cardio (run/walk; elliptical, arc trainer, spin cycle) along with the above. Check.

- Joint pain? I am a whiz at Kinesio/Rock taping, temporary splinting. This knowledge has taken me quite a long way for pain relief. As a last resort, I’ll self-medicate occasionally with children's liquid Tylenol or Advil (less stomach irritation for me in this form and you can really dose control). Check.

- Fatigue and/or weakness? High rep, low weight strength training; body weight core and postural program. A few days of taking it easy. Check.

People always ask me how they can help. I don’t honestly know unless you are going through the same thing I am. I could use some advice from folks that have been there. One thing I know for sure: don’t tell me how “strong” and “brave” I am!! You would do exactly as I’m doing: by facing this head on and trying not to fall apart! There’s no bravery there, really, just reaction based on fear. Bottom line? Survival. And please, don’t throw a pity party for me. It’s all there in your eyes, and I can plainly see it.

Yes, I’ve had to make some major modifications to pre-cancer previous routine, but I am able to incorporate everything into my cancer battle. My work hours are significantly reduced, and my running is now walking/running but I power through this daily. Staying motivated to continue my daily exercise is also a challenge, but I’ve found music really helps. My surprising go-to song? Learn How to Live (thank you 80’s pop idol, Billy Squier!).

There are specific lines in certain songs that just make me tear up when I hear them: Hercules Mulligan (Hamilton: The Battle of Yorktown) rapping: “When you knock me down I get the F*** back up again!” Fun! (the song? Carry On): “May your past be the sound of your feet upon the ground.” Gets me every time.

Then there are some days I just don’t want to get out of bed. But hey, there were days I didn’t want to get out of bed B.C. (before cancer)!

The psychological issues continue to be much more of a struggle for me than the physical ones. It comes down to “quality of life”. How does one define this? It’s all relative, really. I’m used to a very physical life with both work and play, so my definition may not compare to someone else’s.

I know I’ll never be able to go back to my former life. But how do I find a “new normal?” I haven’t yet been able to sit down and come up with a new plan for myself; establish new goals outside of my cancer life. Finding a new purpose. The hardest task of all.

Cancer, of any form, is a very real and personal illness which affects many people in many different ways!  This story is from Janice Morra, who as you can see was very active and took her physical condition, prior to being diagnosed, very seriously. It was this lifestyle of physical activity that she pursued, which helped her to compete against this illness and not just simply throw in the towel.  

 Guest Blogger: Janice Morra    

Yes, it’s that time of year again, the holiday season is upon us, It started with Thanksgiving and ends up for most of us with New Year’s Day, and all the parties, both office, friends and family, and all the food and drinks that go with them. It’s a fact that some people, (not mentioning any names here) can gain up to 5 to 7 pounds this time of year! And that’s a pretty large amount in a 30 day plus time frame. Just think how hard it was to lose 5lbs-10lbs.during the year, with the sun shining outside and the air was warm and balmy! It’s really not too hard to find yourself in this kind of situation and if you let this go unchecked, over the next couple of years, your weight can balloon up to 20lbs or more over a 10-year spread.

The holiday season can make keeping to a consistent workout routine difficult; between the chilly temperatures, shorter daylight hours, travel to visits with family, food-oriented gatherings and crazy stress related shopping schedules, squeezing in your exercise routine is tough. Staying active and focused during the holidays can be done, but it takes the continued commitment by you to get it done and see that you maintain the focus you’re going to need to get you through this seasonal tempting time.

The big thing is not to be too hard on yourself. A lot of people who overindulged during the Thanksgiving feast simply writes their previously adopted “Healthy Lifestyle” off to, well this happens every year, so I’m going to enjoy myself now and pay for it later. Like we mentioned above. For a lot of us, that “pay for it later” attitude can wind up to not ever paying what is owed and you soon find yourself using those gift cards to buy yourself some larger pairs of pants, for the obvious reasons.

Now don’t get us wrong. We all like and enjoy the holiday fare that happens at this time of year. After all, we gather with family and friends and during those family parties, food is usually the common means by which we celebrate being together! After all, who doesn’t have fond memories of eating their favorite foods with family at this time of year? That’s part of the holiday season magic, right?

But there are ways to stay the course and maintain your healthy commitment that you might have made this time, last New Year’s Eve! And its really not too hard to fit in these few activities to make sure you get a little physical, as your dashing through the snow, from store to store. But one word that we want to stress now, during this festive season, but also one that can be followed all 365 days of the year is moderation! Yes, that one word will do you a lot of good if you keep it always in mind as you’re loading up your plate at the various holiday parties you're going to be visiting this year.

But, with that said, here are a few simple things you can do that won’t really add much time to your active “Holliday’s”

As you go shopping, make it a point to park at the end of the lot and walk to and from your car depositing your packages. But put them in your trunk so they won’t be visible to people passing by. After all, how many times have you driven around a mall parking lot, trying to get as close as you could to the entrance? Why not avoid those fiercely fought over prime parking spots and park far away from the entrance. If you park five minutes away from the mall and walk at a pace of 4 miles per hour, (which is a nice steady pace), you could burn about 25 calories. Those calories definitely can add up after multiple mall visits to find perfect gifts for friends and family.

And once you get inside the mall, why not give it a once over and walk around the perimeter of it? This way you can check out any new kiosks that have made their appearance, offering specialty items for your holiday selections.

If you walk at a good brisk pace, (crowds permitting, so get there early) and do a full lap around the mall you’re going to be burning off a few more calories, without really doing anything but adding some small amount of time to your getting that perfect sweater for your Aunt Mary. In addition to beating the cold temperatures outside, you'll get some extra exercise in,  and don't forget you can window shop while you're at it.

Embracing the weather instead of vegging out like a couch potato, can help mix things up with your friends and family this time of year.

Some sports were made for the holiday season. A perfect way to bond with family and get in a workout could be a trip to the ice rink. For every hour you ice skate, you can burn about 600 calories, the same number of calories burned when you run 5 miles. Ice skating is an excellent form of exercise for people of all ages; the kids will love getting out and doing something different instead of trying to be good while the adults talk. They can let some of that bottled up energy lose as they skate around on the ice. And some of your older family members and friends will appreciate skating's low impact on the joints and its calorie-burning benefits. Along with these health benefits, bundling up in the crisp winter air to take to the ice is sure to put you in the holiday spirit.

Remember we mentioned the word moderation, in regards to food intake this time of year. The other word we'd like to have written on your forehead is “Commitment”! Schedule time each day to be active, hopefully, more of an exercise bent. Now we know we said that the whole purpose of this post is to try and get your exercise squeezed in, at this time of year. But nothing beats actually making a schedule on your calendar, that you can see every day! This way it’s a constant reminder that you need to be aware of, but don’t schedule an hour of time when you really don’t have it. Just commit to 15-20 minutes of it, enough to get your heart pumping and the blood flowing so your body’s aware that something is going on.

Remember, your body is a creature of habit, unlike many other things in your life. If it gets accustomed to working out those 20 minutes and it becomes less of a strain on you, increase your activity by doing more reps, or decrease the time spent on the treadmill, but maintain the same distance, or increase the weights or reps,  if that’s what you’re doing. So that your body feels like its being pushed. The more you do, the more your body will become used to doing. And this is how you constantly improve your goal thresholds.

Now, all this is good information, and nothing here is going to be a major hurdle in allowing you to go about your busy holiday shopping or prepping for the big day. But in order to stay on track, get reminded and be able to hold yourself accountable. You need to track just what and how much you're doing. Both this time of year and all year long. So why not get yourself an early Christmas present be getting yourself an Activity Monitor Watch like the Garmin Vivoactive HR Strapless Heart Rate SmartWatch  This “Smart Watch” is just that, Smart! It will not only track your movements, distance, steps, and calories burned but with its built-in HR and GPS, it can virtually keep you motivated by sending up your data to Garmin’s online community- Garmin Connect.

So, with everything we discussed here, there is NO reason why you can’t stay on track, keep busy getting ready for all the holiday functions that your booked to attend, and keep yourself on track to come out of the holiday season, if not even a little leaner then when it first started, then at least no heavier.

Happy Shopping, Dining, and Partying In…! What was that word again??
Oh yes, MODERATION!!

From the Holiday Staff here at HeartRateMonitorsUSA.com.

If you're old enough, you may remember the Jackson Brown song, “Running on Empty” It’s a great song with a good tempo to help you keep running or biking out there on the road and if you want to take a listen to it, well, here is a link to when he performed it live for the “Rock n Roll Hall of Fame”  

Now, the reason I chose this lead into this blog, is that often enough, many of us take off on our exercise runs, walks, maybe cycling, with only a basic combination of carbs and a  small amount of protein for breakfast or possibly a snack in the afternoon before we set off. Now that’s fine for a regular stint of exercise that you do either every day or 2-3 times a week. After all, you know your body better than anyone, but sometimes we get either lazy or fall into a habit of thinking stocking up on less is better than over doing it before you begin your exercise outing. But various studies have shown that your body, while it usually has enough carbs and protein stored in the morning from a night of sleeping, or you had a good lunch in the afternoon and think you can “Pony-Up” to your after work training regimen, well think again, it’s still not enough to help you get through a better than average exercise event. You need to be on top of your game when it comes to eating right when you're putting your body through its paces.

One way you can keep track of how well it’s, your body is performing, is to have the right tools with you like an Activity Tracker. The Garmin Vivosport Sport & Activity Tracker comes with a wrist-based heart rate and GPS technology that allows you to either work out inside or use the built-in GPS to accurately track your activities outside. Along with the fitness monitoring tools such as VO2 max and fitness age estimates, the "All-Day" stress tracking helps you stay in touch with your body’s response to potential stressors. And with the VO2 max feature you can measure up against previous results to see just how well you’re performing, along with the Heart Rate monitoring function that is wrist based.

But again YOUR NUTRITION is probably one of the most important things to look after when you’re engaging in an active cardio lifestyle, like running, fast walking and cycling. It can be the make or break when it comes to not just surviving the miles but actually enjoying the paces you’re putting your body through and being able to train without fatigue.

Now for when you’re taking on your first race or long distance run or biking event, your food intake is very important to make sure your body has the right combination of fuel to help you to get to the end point of your endeavor. You don't want to put "Economy Gas" in your engine when you’re training at a "Nascar" event level, do you?

Morning fuel: Your breakfast will be one of the most important meals you consume and will ensure you are fully fuelled when you cross the start line, so make sure you are comfortable with it and it works for you.
On the go feeding: Fuelling while running/cycling is key, so get confident at consuming food and fluid whilst at a good pace. Here at HeartRateMonitorsUSA.com, we have looked into this important aspect of energy replacing foods and recommend the GU Energy Stroopwafel The Stroopwafel is made with a layer of delicious syrup between two thin wafers, and it’s individually packaged to make it portable and easy to take on a ride or run. It can be used before and during training and competitions. The GU Energy Stroopwafel (Different Name, Great Product!) delivers all the nutrients needed to power your performance: quality carbohydrates, and electrolytes that provide immediate and long-lasting energy from complex and simple carbohydrates, along with essential amino acids, which can help prevent mental fatigue and repair muscle damage during long-duration activities.

Then there are also the GU Energy Chews  This Chewy snack packs energy-dense calories in a portable packet to help sustain energy demands of long duration activities. The 90-calorie packet contains carbohydrates to keep you fueled while delaying bonking by sparing your glycogen stores. Sodium, the primary electrolyte lost in sweat, aids in hydration by maintaining water balance.

Now that we have a few energy packed chewable for you to work your teeth on, we want to make sure we quench your thirst with the right combination of drinks that provide you with more thirst quenching relief than just plain water. Remember, in order to remain healthy our body needs to stay hydrated. But during our daily workouts and intensive sweat sessions, water alone cannot help. Though water will quench your thirst, it won’t boost your energy levels so that you can perform efficiently. The engineers at Nuun Energy have developed a product that can provide your body with the fluid it needs to not only stay hydrated but to also help replenish the electrolytes and other minerals and vitamins your body is consuming as you’re putting it through its paces. The Nuun Energy Sports Drink Tablets  It contains important natural ingredients like:
Sodium: which reduces acidity produced in the muscles during intensive workout sessions which in turn improves speed among racers and cyclists.

Potassium: Which is an electrolyte that conducts impulses in our body. Therefore, it is required by our cells, tissues , nd organs to function optimally. It is vital for healthy muscular and digestive functions of our body.

Magnesium: Which is one of the 6 macro-minerals that make up 99% of our body’s mineral content. It is crucial to enable healthy nerve function, build bones and produce energy from the food we eat. In the absence of magnesium, our body will not be able to synthesize energy from food, muscles won’t be able to contract or relax and production of key hormones that control vital body functions will be hindered.

Vitamin C: Water-soluble vitamin, that has numerous health benefits which should be taken with food or health supplements. It boosts our immune system, helps lower hypertension; maintains elasticity of skin and aids healing of wounds by facilitating the growth of connective tissue etc.

Vitamin B12: is required to keep our nerves and red blood cells healthy. It also helps in the efficient functioning of our critical body functions.

Vitamin B6: plays a key role in converting food into energy and also metabolizes fats and proteins. It helps in keeping hair, skin, liver and eyes healthy.

Niacin: helps to lower and control cholesterol levels. It also releases energy into the body cell’s and helps to stay active and energized.
So as you can see, if you’re serious about being active and want to push yourself from time to time to see if you can in fact “Go the Distance”. Then you need to make sure your fueling your body with the proper energy making foodstuffs to see that you in fact, can “Go the Distance”.

There should never be a reason for you to have your body “Running on Empty” again. Like any good engine, you get out of it what you put into it.

See you at the end of the course, from the active gang here at HeartRateMonitorsUSA.com !!