As a personal trainer in London for over 20 years, with clients in Chelsea, Belgravia, Knightsbridge, Kensington and Mayfair, I’ve helped many clients boost their heart health.
Heart and circulatory disease (also known as cardiovascular disease) is one of the UK’s biggest killers, with approx 170,000 deaths a year. It used to be the UK’s biggest killer, but dementia has now taken the number one spot, partly due to the sharp rise in junk-food consumption over the last few years, but mainly because the elderly are living longer and dementia is primarily a disease of old age.
The most common type of heart disease is coronary artery disease, where plaque clogs up the arteries supplying the heart muscle itself. There are over 2 million sufferers of coronary artery disease in the UK, a frighteningly high number, mostly preventable through lifestyle choices.
Main Risk Factors for Heart Disease
Smoking
Alcohol consumption
Excessive blood sugar levels
Hypertension
Obesity
Inactivity
Stress
Poor sleep
Air pollution
Heredity
Cardiac Rehabilitation Programme
After a heart attack, the individual is put onto a cardiac rehab programme to reduce their risk of suffering another heart attack. As a personal trainer, I can become an integral part of this programme in collaboration with the client’s medical specialist and GP.
The exact nature of this cardiac rehabilitation programme must be tailor-made for each client, depending on their full medical history and current medical conditions, their exercise history and a range of other variables. It includes an exercise programme, healthy eating programme, stress-reduction, increasing sleep quality, quitting smoking, and reducing alcohol consumption (preferably quitting alcohol altogether).
Many people are scared of exercise after a heart attack, fearing it may trigger another heart attack, but this fear is unfounded when you’re supervised by an experienced personal trainer.
(Dominic Londesborough is a personal trainer in London and an online nutrition coach)
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