Saturday, February 9, 2008

February is Heart Month

Did you know????

Your heart beats about 100,000 times in one day and about 35 million times in a year. During an average lifetime, the human heart will beat more than 2.5 billion times.

Your body has about 5.6 liters (6 quarts) of blood. This 5.6 liters of blood circulates through the body three times every minute. In one day, the blood travels a total of 19,000 km (12,000 miles)-that's four times the distance across the US from coast to coast.

The heart pumps about 1 million barrels of blood during an average lifetime-that's enough to fill more than 3 super tankers.

In Canada, stroke kills 45 per cent more women than men. And women are 16 per cent more likely than men to die after a heart attack.

According to The Heart and Stroke Foundation, most Canadian women have at least one risk factor for heart disease and stroke. As they age, estrogen levels, which offer them a degree of protection against heart disease and stroke when they are younger, begin to decline.

What ever exercise regimen you choose, don’t stop moving. Walking keeps your blood vessels young.

Want more proof. A recent study out of King’s College in London found that being sedentary increases the risk of developing age-related disease and hastens the aging process. Make it to 70, the authors write, and if you're still physically fit and healthy, you will be as "happy and mentally healthy as a 20-year-old."

So rather than spending money on laser treatments and wrinkle cream, get active – go for a jog, take up a new sport or hit the gym.

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