OK, girdle – a true hard time: heart disease is the world’s greatest killer. As the worst type of dirty bomb, it is a non-discriminatory disease and costs the NHS about $15 billion a year.
In the UK, where one in three smokers and one in four are obese, an estimated seven million people are living with heart disease currently, and according to the estimates, it will kill one in seven men and one in ten women.
Cycling can immensely contribute to strengthening your heart health.
You can check out the beginner’s guide for cycling here.
Someone in the UK dies of a heart attack every 8 minutes. Shocking stuff, isn’t it? But the good news is that, besides regular riding, it has a positive impact on your general health, most active cyclists are very close to their body, so they are more likely to see signs of any health problems before they get worse.
But because you ride, it doesn’t make you lean. Knowledge is your strongest friend. So here are some helpful facts to keep in your locker that might just save your life. We all know the health benefits of regular exercise.
Heart Health Facts and Benefits of Cycling
Physically active adults are 20- 30% more likely to die prematurely and have a 50% increased risk of developing major chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and heart disease (CHD). That is why heart health is so important.
Cycling is one the best exercises that you can do.
According to a study by the British Medical Association, cycling just 32km (20 miles) per week reduces your risk of heart disease by 50%, because it uses larger muscle groups in the legs to increase your heart rate, which in turn improves heart rate.
So the heart is very good. If you excuse the pun, cycling keeps things moving smoothly. But it’s only half the battle, as Christopher Allen, Cardiac Chief Nurse at the British Heart Foundation, told Bikes Etc. ‘When it comes to maintaining a healthy lifestyle, you can’t balance unhealthy foods with the amount of exercise you do and vice versa.
Following are some great reasons to cycle:
- With the help of cycling, you can easily discover your surroundings.
- With the help of cycling, you can feel young again.
- Cycling is suitable for all types of fitness levels.
- It saves your money in several ways.
- It helps to make your body strong.
- Cycling is also eco-friendly.
- Cycling is also good for all ages.
- It keeps the immune system young.
‘It is a myth that stress leads to a heart attack as there should be a disease present in your heart arteries. It’s about behavior when under pressure that contributes to a heart attack, such as smoking and eating unhealthy foods.
Also, heart disease can affect anyone, regardless of age. Infants can be born with a heart defect or inherited from their parents, which can lead to sudden death. Smoking is one of the worst things you can do for your heart, but most important is your risk profile.
This is all of your integrated behavior combined, with things like your family history and ethnicity. OK, that’s up and down it. Now let’s equip ourselves with some serious information. First, basic biology. The heart is made up of four chambers; the left atrium left ventricle and right ventricle, and contains four valves that ensure blood flow in or out – similar to traffic lights in a one-way system – and the heartbeat of these valves opens and closes.
The blood leaving the heart is carried by blood vessels, the primary one being attached to the electrical aorta, while the large artery leaving the right ventricle (toward the lungs) is called the pulmonary artery.
The blood from the lungs to the left atrium is carried through the pulmonary arteries, while blood from the other to the right atrium is carried by what is known as the superior vena cava and inferior vena cava.
The cardiac attack is caused by the circulation of the heart is interrupted, which usually occurs when one or more blood vessels close. Over time, the production of various substances such as cholesterol can make them smaller.
These deposits are called plaques. Sometimes these tumultuous eruptions cause blood clots that stop the blood supply to the heart. This condition, known as coronary heart disease (CHD), is the cause of most heart attacks, and that is why English breakfasts and full cheeseburgers make very poor printing presses.
However, there is a lot of confusion around this issue. Christopher Allen sinks things in: ‘Although a heart attack can lead to a cardiac arrest, it’s not the same. A heart attack is a sudden disruption in the supply of blood to the part of the heart muscle.
It may have caused chest pain and permanent damage to the heart. The heart still sends blood throughout the body and the person remains conscious and is still breathing. ‘Cardiac arrest, meanwhile, occurs when the heart stops pumping blood throughout the body.
Someone with a heart attack will lose consciousness and stop breathing or stop breathing normally. ‘Unless treated by CPR immediately, this usually results in death within minutes. Sudden cardiac arrest is caused by inherited heart conditions, including hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and Long QT Syndrome.
Remember, the heart is a muscle and needs exercise just like any other muscle. Cycling is a great way to get the government to recommend at least 150 minutes of exercise every week. ‘To get the health benefits of working, people should aim for physical activity.
Moderate intensity will make you feel warmer, more breathable, and makes your heart beat faster than normal, but you still need to be able to continue the conversation. ‘Cycling is a great example of fitness balance.
The talking about your maximum heart rate during exercise is a minimum of 220bpm. ‘So when you’re 35, your average heart rate should be 185bpm. Always remember to build up your fitness level gradually, though.
If you are already working out, consider some periods of intense workouts, such as HIIT (High-intensity Interval Training), to improve your fitness. Hard workouts should make your heart beat faster, making it harder to keep up the conversation.
According to Allen, you should always be able to keep exercising despite how good you are. ‘Being warm at first is better,’ she said, ‘because it allows your heart rate to go up a bit, as it pumps blood to your muscles.
It also increases your body temperature slightly. ‘In the meantime, active warming helps get your body back to rest while also, obviously, helping to lose muscle mass. One last fact before we move on: seven out of 10 victims of heart disease survive these days.
Thanks to improved medical care compared to three out of 10 in the 60s. It’s not a statistic that encourages you to test it, though! Even if we are careful and well-prepared, a heart attack can strike at any time, so, it is satisfying to be aware of the warning signs.
Common symptoms include pain in your chest, arms, neck, jaw, back or stomach; perspiration, lightheartedness, shortness of breath, or nausea. Symptoms of conditions such as abnormal heart rhythm, meanwhile, include palpitations, dizziness, and bloating.
Triathlete, MD, and heart surgeon Larry Cromwell say everyone feels pain differently, and no two symptoms are the same. ‘The defining feature is that thigh pain is brought on by exercise and reduced during rest,’ she told us.
Some signs should ask your attention, though. Pay attention anytime you have a rare heart attack. ‘This is where your heart monitor can help. If your heart is suddenly approaching 210 hits per minute for no good reason, that is a sign that it has been tested.
The same thing goes for when you’re home you go through your data file, and you see episodes where your heart rate is 200 pressures where you feel like you’re going 125.
