HealthyLife Articles

Tag: oxygen

  • Up Your Vo2 Max

    BE FIT

    VO2 max measures how much oxygen your body uses when working at a high level of exercise.

    A high VO2 max indicates good cardiovascular fitness, while a low VO2 max means you should consider moving your body more. You don’t have to become an elite athlete. Even a small increase in fitness has significant health benefits. If your doctor clears you to do aerobic exercise, try these workouts to increase VO2 max.

    Interval training:This involves alternating short periods of moderate to high-intensity aerobic exercise with short periods of low-intensity exercise. Alternate 3 minutes of moderate/high-intensity with 2 minutes of low-intensity for 30 minutes.

    High-intensity training:This is a form of interval training that uses short, intense bouts of exercise at your max, followed by a longer rest period.

    Steady-state training:This type of training is long bouts of cardio at a pace you can maintain for at least 30 minutes. Your heart rate should be elevated, but you should still be able to carry on a conversation.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Deep Breathing

    Healthylife® Weigh

    Part 6

    Women doing deep breathing exercises outdoors.

    An increased amount of oxygen allows your heart rate to slow down. This produces a calming effect.

    1. Sit in a chair, arms at your sides, with your legs uncrossed. Or, lie down on a comfortable surface, like a bed or couch.

    2. If you are able, close your eyes. Do not close your eyes while driving or operating machinery.

    3. Note any tension in your muscles.

    4. Slowly inhale through your nose, expanding your abdomen first. Fill your lungs next.

    5. Hold your breath for 2 to 4 seconds.

    6. Slowly exhale.

    7. Repeat this exercise for several minutes.

    Your chest should feel less constricted. You should feel less stress and tension physically and mentally. Problems haven’t gone away, but you may feel more ready to tackle them or cope with a negative emotion.

    Practice Deep Breathing: Take a Rest from Your Emotions

    Detach yourself from your thoughts and emotions. Imagine sitting on a hill and viewing your thoughts and feelings at the bottom of the hill. Observe your thoughts as they pass by. Or, you can stop and think about them. Tell yourself: “I have control over when and how I think about a situation.”

    Put your emotional reactions to a situation or issue to rest for awhile. This helps your mind use logical thinking.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • How Physical Activity Works

    BE FIT

    Image of couple using dumb bells.

    No, this is not another article about why you should be active. This information tells you how exercise works to keep you healthier.

    The concept to understand is called overload. And according to the government’s Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, overload is the physical stress placed on your body when your physical activity is greater in amount or intensity than usual.

    The body responds and adapts to these stresses (say, a Zumba class). For example, aerobic activity places stress on your heart and lungs and muscles. Your lungs are required to move more air and the heart pumps more blood and delivers it to working muscles. This increase in demand increases the efficiency of your lungs, heart, your entire circulatory system, and your muscles.

    Muscle-strengthening exercise overloads muscles and bones in the same way-making them stronger.

    Also tied to the idea of overload is the principle of progression. Once you reach a certain fitness level, you progress to higher levels of physical activity by continued overload and adaptation. These small and progressive changes help your body adapt to the additional stresses while minimizing your risk of injury.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • All About Red Blood Cells

    MEDICAL NEWS

    Lab tube with blood.

    Blood nourishes every part of the body. Red blood cells are a major component of blood and a key player in how the body receives the oxygen it needs.

    What they do

    Red blood cells contain a special protein called hemoglobin that carries oxygen from the lungs and delivers it to the organs and tissues. Once a red blood cell drops off oxygen, it picks up carbon dioxide and returns it to the lungs to be exhaled when you breathe out.

    Every cell in the body relies on oxygen delivery from red blood cells. To keep a constant supply of healthy red blood cells, the bone marrow produces an impressive 2 million cells every second.

    Measuring red blood cells

    When you go to the doctor, they often order a complete blood count (CBC) to assess the health of your blood. Several of those values provide information about your red blood cells:

    *  Red blood cells (RBC) – the number of red blood cells in a specific volume of blood

    *  Hemoglobin – the amount of hemoglobin (by weight in grams) per the volume in blood (in deciliters)

    *  Hematocrit – how much of the blood is made up of red blood cells

    *  MCV – the average size of red blood cells

    *  MCH – the amount of hemoglobin in each red blood cell

    *  MCHC – the average amount of hemoglobin in a group of red blood cells

    When red blood cells are high

    Common causes include:

    *  Dehydration

    *  Kidney disease

    *  Heart disease

    *  Lung disease

    *  Smoking (causes scarring of lung tissue)

    *  Conditions of the bone marrow

    What to do:

    If your doctor finds your red blood cell values are higher than normal, they may do further testing to identify a cause. Staying well-hydrated keeps your blood cells healthy and in the right concentration.

    When red blood cells are low

    You may experience fatigue, weakness, shortness of breath, and irregular heart rates. Common causes include:

    *  Anemia

    *  Malnutrition

    *  Certain types of cancer

    *  Kidney disease

    *  Liver disease

    *  Certain medications

    What to do:

    A healthy diet high in iron and other vitamins and minerals is essential for red blood cells. Leafy greens, beans, nuts, seeds, fish, meat, and iron-fortified foods keep blood cells healthy. Your doctor may also recommend supplements or medications.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine