For those who know me well – you know that I initiate conversations with strangers. I like it. I like learning about people during my travels.
Today I spoke to a heart attack survivor in the gym. I first saw him on the track but then when noticing him on the nautilus equipment I felt compelled to know his health story. At first he was perplexed by my outreach but then he warmed up and spoke of the day of the incident. Despite all the drama, he said the one thing that stood out particularly was the look on his wife’s face as he was wheeled into the ambulance. At that moment in time he concluded that if he made it out of the situation alive, he was going to make big changes. Admittedly he was obese and never took care of himself.
He received four stints and morphene for the pain. While in recovery he had witnessed multiple medical professionals in the adjacent room deliver thumping blows on a 42 year old woman’s chest in order to revive her from her heart attack. She didn’t make it.
Every day we get to orchestrate how we spend our time. Not enough of us are caring for our heart by making it work vigorously and regularly by flowing blood through it with the kind of velocity applicable for cleansing arteries and veins. It is plaque deposits which accumulate over time which creates problems. If you are a week end warrior – look out because you may be at a higher risk than anyone else due to the irregularity of your work outs. Imagine that accumulation of plaque which potentially can become dislodged when your cardiovascular systems is suddenly taxed when it’s not accustomed.
If you want to start working out and you’ve been sedentary…you must begin at low intensity and preferably with the guidance of a doctor. You know what January means. Gym membership sales people will be at the ready but will you?