The Heart of the Matter n Put your hand on your heart n Hold out your hand and make a fist n Why do we wear wedding rings on our left hand? n lub-Dub, lub-Dub. Sound familiar? These sounds are made by the heart valves as they open and close

Heart Facts n The heart is a strong muscle that pumps blood throughout your body n Your heart provides the power needed for life n An adults heart will beat about 70 times per minute n We have 6 quarts of blood that moves through our body 3 times every minute

n Arteries are blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart n Veins are blood vessels that carry blood toward the heart n Even at rest, the muscles of the heart work hard -- twice as hard as the leg muscles of a person sprinting

Your heart and exercise n The heart changes how fast it pumps to meet your body’s needs. n As muscles work harder, they need more oxygen supplied by blood from the heart. n The heart has to beat faster to keep up with the needs of the muscles.

Problems of the heart n Heart Attack - caused by blockage of a coronary artery. n Damage to the heart muscle can occur if there is insufficient blood supply for more than 20 minutes or more.

Typical Warning Signs n Chest discomfort along with pain that runs down the left arm n Shortness of breath n Nausea n cold sweat, light headedness

Risk Factors n Family History of early heart attack before 65 for women before 55 for men n Age (heart attack risk increases with age) n Race n Diabetes n High blood pressure

Blood Pressure n The pressure exerted by the heart in pumping blood away from the heart. n High blood pressure is 140/90 or higher n Systolic (top number) is the pressure in the arteries as the heart contracts n Diastolic (bottom number) is the pressure in the arteries as the heart relaxes

Did you ever wonder n Why a nurse checks your pulse during a checkup or why they check a victims pulse? n Your pulse tells how well your heart is working n Many factors affect pulse rate fitness level, genetics, stress, diet

Your heart is a muscle n If you want it to be strong you need to exercise it.

Did you know n Heart Disease is the #1 killer of women. n 1 in 3 women dies of heart disease n Yet women make up only 25% of participants in heart related research studies

How to take your pulse n Never use your thumb n Begin your count with zero n locate pulse in your wrist or neck n count for 30 seconds multiple by 2 n Resting rate is your pulse rate before you get out of bed in the morning

Target Heart Rate n To get the most benefit from aerobic exercise you need to work out in your target heart rate zone. n your age = maximum heart rate n MHR x 60% = lower range of zone n MHR x 80% = higher range of zone n You should be in this range of 60-80%

Tuesday n In your groups n one member of group will complete 3 fitness stations n Two minutes of exercise, record pulse after exercise, 30 seconds, 60 seconds and 90 seconds after exercise n other team members will act as timers, recorder, and pulse taker