Page 2 - ROOT by Brock Jan Feb 2018

FitneSS FOCus:

WALK YOUR WAY TO A HEALTHIER YOU

Did you know that it takes over 200 muscles risk factors like blood pressure, vascular
to support one step? Walking is an excellent inflammation, and mental stress. Another great
way to exercise both your body and mind. benefit is that walking can usually be sustained
Since walking falls into moderate-intensity, long term. It requires no specific location or
aim for 30 minutes, five days per week to general equipment, plus it can be what you
reap its countless benefits. Some of the noted make of it. For a more challenging walk, add
benefits associated with walking include stairs or hills. The opportunities are endless!
weight management, strengthening bones and As with all exercise routines, be sure to hydrate
muscles, boosting mental clarity, and increasing properly and fuel your body as well as warm up,
coordination. Walking is specifically beneficial cool down, and stretch. “Walking is man’s best
for cardiovascular health too by improving medicine.” - Hippocrates

SEAsonal SpotLIght:

AMERICAN HEART MONTH

Did you know heart disease and stroke are organs—brain, heart, and kidneys—because
on the top five list of leading causes of death they have to work extra hard to compensate
in the United States each year, with heart for the increased blood volume. Although
disease at number one? According to the the AHA’s general recommendation is to
American Heart Association’s (AHA) 2017 limit intake to 2,300mg per day, they ideally
Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics Update, recommend for adults to try and keep
about 2,200 Americans die of cardiovascular intake below 1,500mg. Two simple steps to
disease each day, an average of one death decrease sodium intake is swapping salt out of
every 40 seconds. By making small healthy your recipes for various herbs and spices such
lifestyle changes, cardiovascular disease can as cumin, cayenne, and paprika, and steering
be both prevented and managed. One of the clear of pre-packed foods, like chips, cookies,
most important risk factors for this disease frozen pizzas, etc. According to the AHA, the
is elevated blood pressure or hypertension. majority of Americans’ sodium intake comes
Sodium, a mineral that’s used to control fluid from processed, pre-packaged and restaurant
balance in the body, plays a huge role in blood foods—not salt from a shaker. Therefore,
pressure regulation. Increased sodium in the it is important to watch how much salt we
blood causes water to be pulled into the blood are sprinkling over the top of our food, but
vessels, increasing total volume and elevating even more vital that we are choosing fresh,
our blood pressure. With extra pressure comes whole foods first! Your heart will thank you in
great strain on some of our most important the long run!

tech trends: CArdiio

KEEPING TRACK OF YOUR HEART
Interested in measuring your heart rate and changes in reflected light are caught by your
overall cardiovascular health and fitness? smartphone’s camera from your finger or face,
Download Cardiio through the App Store for where it’s then able to calculate your heart
free! This app uses your smartphone camera rate. In addition to tracking your heartbeat,
to measure your heart rate. Pretty cool, you also have access to tracking your progress,
right? It works by calculating your heart rate sharing your data, and participating in
through changes in reflected light. Each time 7-minute workouts to help promote a healthy
your heart beats blood flows throughout the heart!
body and absorbs light. In-between heart
beats less light is absorbed. These very small