It’s a fact! Americans are becoming more and more overweight and the health industry is playing catchup in trying to administer to this seemingly pandemic situation. Based on a report from the CDC back in August of this year.

Currently, 9 percent of Americans are diagnosed with some form of diabetes. That number is expected to rise to 33 percent by the year 2050. With Type 2, the most common form of the disease, either the pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin or the body is resistant to properly using insulin to turn food into energy.

More than 1.2 million American adults and “Children” suffer from Type #1 diabetes. This is an alarming number when you realize that Type 1 or insulin-dependent diabetes, is the more severe form. It’s sometimes called “juvenile” diabetes, because type 1 diabetes usually develops in children and teenagers, though it can develop at any age. Those with Type 1 diabetes usually need to take insulin every day based on a measured amount to help balance the glucose levels in the body. But it is not always easy to determine just how much insulin you need to take.

There are roughly about 26 million people in the United States with Type 2 diabetes. With another 86 million diagnosed as having “Pre-Diabetes” These people’s blood sugar is measurably high, but not high enough to be classified as having Type 2 diabetes, not yet but they are on their way.

So just what can you do if your one of those who has type 1 or 2, or pre-diabetes? Doctors, specialists, and nutritionist all agree that changing up your diet to a more healthy balance of good fats, carbs, and proteins can help you to cope with your condition. But they all agree that a lifestyle change of adding exercise to your daily routines can help not only lower your AC1 counts but in some cases, if the persons really work at it, can not only bring their levels under control, they can possibly get their levels back to a normal state.

So what types of exercise is needed to help you put up a fight against your diabetes?
Two types of physical activity are most important for managing diabetes: Aerobic exercise and Strength training.

Below are some examples of aerobic activities:
Brisk walking (outside or inside on a treadmill)
Bicycling/Stationary cycling indoors
Dancing
Low-impact aerobics
Swimming or water aerobics
Playing tennis
Stair climbing
Jogging/Running
Hiking
Rowing
Ice-skating or roller-skating
Cross-country skiing

As you can see, the above-recommended exercises can be done by anyone, anywhere you live. Just choose a combination of one or two and really work at getting physical with it. Now any health coach or trainer will tell you that you need to set goals for yourself. These goals need to be realistic right at the beginning or you’re going to set yourself up for failure.

Now in setting about getting yourself fit so you can help get your body in the shape, it was meant to be from a young age, you need to be able to track your progress. This can be done in many ways but with all the technology available now, the advantages of having a fitness tracker with you at all times for most people is the way to go. This way, you can track your daily activities and see where you’re lacking and when you are exercising, it can tell you how well you’re doing, or if you’re Not doing enough.

Your health and working to get or keep your diabetes in check is nothing to take lightly! That is why you need to monitor your blood sugar levels (depending on how high your A1C is), your blood pressure and even your heart rate. So you need to have accurate information on just how you are doing each day. Anyone who needs to keep focused on how they are doing blood pressure wise can get a good accurate reading by using the Omron BP652N Automatic Wrist Blood Pressure Monitor  Remember, one in 3 adults in America suffer from high blood pressure and the Omron 652N can give you a proper reading, RIGHT FROM YOUR WRIST! To give you an accurate picture of your hearts health.

Now in order to keep both you’re heart and your body performing the way you need it to you need to keep track of your progress. A good activity watch can provide you with this information at a glance. One that we like specifically is the Garmin Forerunner 735XT GPS . This type of activity tracker can act as your “Wellness Coach” from the start of your new lifestyle initiative from its beginning and through its duration. In fact, it will assist you from workout till workday. This just might be the only tracker you will ever need to keep you on track for the rest of your life. It can track everything from the steps you take each day, to the calories your burning and that information along with much more can be transferred to an online community called ‘Garmin Connect” This is a built-in app that analyses the synced data and gives you insights on how to perform better in your physical activities than yesterday. If you’re not meeting your step goals, Garmin Connect will motivate you to break those milestones. The worst thing that can happen in any exercise program is to become complacent in your routines. The reason being, your body will adapt to the pace, and course you take and you will find yourself not exerting yourself as much, thus not getting the benefits of a more vigorous exercise program. Even though you’re putting the time and effort into it.

Consult with your Physician!!!
We really cannot stress this enough! People with diabetes often have underlying symptoms that go hand in hand with your blood sugar being out of whack. Checking with your doctor before you begin any exercise that’s beyond your normal, daily activities is especially crucial for people who have heart or kidney disease, along with diabetes. When working out, don’t overexert yourself. You should be able to carry on a conversation without being short of breath. A heart rate monitor, while it estimates your lactate threshold, recovery advisor, and VO2 max estimate. So you see, it monitors you every step of the way to better health and can help you keep track of your level of exertion. Remember that is why we recommended the Garmin Forerunner 735XT GPS !

Neuropathy: Pain, tingling or numbness in your extremities (hands, feet, fingers). Diabetes can reduce the amount of oxygen carried to blood vessels, which may cause nerve signals to slow, to halt, or to fire at the wrong times. More than half of the people who have diabetes have some form of this abnormal nerve behavior, or neuropathy, which can cause symptoms such as numbness in the extremities, shooting pains, and dizziness. In addition to peripheral neuropathy, which affects hands and feet, people with diabetes may also experience autonomic neuropathy, which affects the nerves to the heart and other organs.

After your exercise, do a visual check of your body parts that experience neuropathy. Use a small mirror to check your extremities, looking between your toes and at the bottoms of your feet. Also, keep lotion handy to make sure your skin doesn’t get dry after exercise. If you experience autonomic neuropathy, avoid exercising in hot locations, closely monitor your heart rate, and rest if you feel light-headed or short of breath. This is nothing to take lightly, failing to be aware of your symptoms caused by your diabetes can sometimes lead to festering wounds that can even lead to gangrene and amputation.

So you see, diabetes is nothing to take lightly, but with being active, exercising regularly and increasing your exercise routines, whether it be increasing your distance or just picking up your pace as you go up and down hills can help you to lose weight, which in the long run will help to get your body’s functions working the way they were meant to. The key is monitoring yourself on a consistent basis. If you follow these steps above, work at it, and keep a log/journal of your daily activities and progress, you can get your A1C levels down to a manageable level.

It’s important to have your regular checks with your doctor who will probably have you going for routine blood tests but if you maintain your exercise plans and eat a nutritious combination of foods you can keep your diabetes and your blood pressure in check while getting in the best shape of your life.

Hope this information helps you to help yourself.
We are here for you if you need any additional advice or support. The crew here at HeartRateMonitorsUSA.com are always here for YOU!!

We all know that the winter season brings us the coldest days of the year, it’s natural to keep an eye on outside temperatures to make decisions about outdoor apparel and transportation. If you are among the one in three adults in the United States with high blood pressure, you should also check your blood pressure frequently, particularly in winter. Based on the numbers, you may need adjustments in your lifestyle as well.

A study conducted by the VA Medical Center in Washington, D.C., revealed that blood pressures are higher in winter months. Published earlier this year in Circulation, a journal of the American Heart Association, the study reviewed health records of 443,632 veterans nationwide during a five-year period. The research showed that blood pressures were consistently higher during the winter in 60 percent of the veterans studied.

Because the study’s data also revealed that the pattern held true even in southern climates with milder winters, the researchers speculated that perhaps sedentary lifestyles and weight gain during winter months might be partly to blame. Other physicians and researchers feel that stress and food choices with high fat or sodium may be potential culprits for higher blood pressure at this time of year.

Let’s Talk Numbers
High blood pressure (also called hypertension) involves blood that travels through arteries with an increased force. If the heart is pumping against high pressure for a long time, like any other muscle it thickens and eventually becomes less effective. Damage can occur to the heart or other organs such as the brain, kidneys, and eyes. Over time, hypertension raises the risk for stroke, heart attack, heart failure and kidney disease.”

Blood pressure is measured as systolic pressure (when the heart is contracting over diastolic pressure (when the heart relaxes between heartbeats. A normal blood pressure reading is less than 120/80. Hypertension is diagnosed at 140/90 or higher (130/80 if you are diabetic or have kidney disease). If your systolic blood pressure is between 120 and 139, or your diastolic pressure is between 80 and 89, you are considered at risk or “pre-hypertensive.”

Should You Be Worried?
High blood pressure is often referred to as the ’silent killer’ since it may occur for decades with no symptoms.

More than 20 percent of those with high blood pressure are unaware that they have it, and more than half of those with hypertension are not treating it, according to the American Heart Association.

While most people have no symptoms at all, if blood pressure rises to very high levels, you may experience a headache, dizziness, blurred vision, shortness of breath, or abdominal or chest pain. Unfortunately, a number of people only find out that they have hypertension after they suffer a heart attack or stroke.

Knowing the risk factors for high blood pressure is one way to evaluate your chance of developing the disorder.

Age is one of the biggest risk factors since arteries narrow with the years, which naturally increases blood pressure. So, even if your blood pressure has been fine in the past, regular checks are still needed.

The following factors can increase your chance of developing high blood pressure:

Age: Generally, both systolic and diastolic blood pressure increase up to middle age. By age 50, the diastolic pressure levels off, while the systolic pressure continues to increase.
Gender: High blood pressure is more common in men up to middle age. Women are more prone to hypertension after menopause.
Genetics: High blood pressure often runs in families.
Race: More than 40 percent of blacks have hypertension, and it often develops earlier in life.
Weight: Those who are overweight or obese have a larger volume of blood, which increases pressure on artery walls.
Alcohol: Having more than two drinks a day can elevate blood pressure.
Smoking: Chemicals in tobacco can damage and narrow arteries.
Sedentary lifestyle: Inactivity causes higher heart rates, which elevates pressure on arteries and makes the heart work harder.
Poor diet: A diet that is high in salt, fat, and sugar can raise the risk of both high blood pressure and obesity.
Other conditions: High cholesterol, sleep apnea, diabetes and kidney disease all increase the risk of hypertension.

Frequent Testing is Key
Blood pressure cuff in the shape of a heart, You know the drill; every time you visit the doctor, a nurse checks your blood pressure. This is not just a formality — it’s an important medical precaution. And for those who have a high risk for hypertension or already have high blood pressure, once a year is not enough.

If you have borderline or high blood pressure, it’s well worth investing in an at-home blood pressure kit. You are more apt to take regular readings if you can do so at home.

It is recommended that those with blood pressure monitors take them to their physicians to check the monitor's accuracy as well. HeartRateMonitorsUSA.com has a wide variety of Blood Pressure monitoring devices that you can select from. The traditional kind to ones small enough to fit around your wrist and are automatic so they are easy to use and provide accurate readings at a glance. To check out the full line of Blood Pressure Monitors and accessories, just click on this link and see how easy it is for you to have your readings right in your own home.

It is also recommended that patients check their blood pressure at various times of the day and in different situations. If you take medication and your reading is lower in the morning and higher later, you may need to speak with your doctor about changing the time that you take your medication. Additionally, if you start to identify stressful situations that trigger elevations in your blood pressure, it may serve as a motivation to make positive lifestyle changes such as exercising and general stress reduction.

Improving Your Numbers
The reason for frequent blood pressure readings is to aim for early diagnosis and treatment. If your reading is high, you’ll also need to come back for more frequent checks, and your physician will discuss lifestyle changes with you. Actions that can help to reduce blood pressure readings include:

Maintain a healthy weight.
Exercise regularly (30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity, such as brisk walking, five days a week).
If you smoke, quit.
Eat a heart-healthy diet, such as the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) Diet, which is low in fat and sodium and rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy.
Avoid excess alcohol, having no more than one drink daily for women and two for men.
Manage stress.

Raising Awareness, Lowering Risk
Because blood pressure counts rise in winter, frequent checks and wise lifestyle choices are even more imperative now.

See your physician regularly, exercise and eat well, and, if you do need hypertensive medication take it as it is prescribed. Prevention is the best medicine to keep blood pressure in check and avoid life-changing cardiac events.

With the right choices, whether you are currently hypertensive or not, you can be in fine shape to emerge from the winter doldrums and greet the spring!  Which if you look at the calendar, spring is just around the corner.  But, high blood pressure is with you every season of the year, manage it-----manage YOUR LIFE!