Fun Exercises To Do With Your Family

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When thinking of the term “exercising” we often think of team sports, or something that we can do as an individual, like running. The thought of ‘family’ doesn’t really come to mind, but often our families are where we first learned the basics of exercising. Kicking the soccer ball in the backyard, doing chores around the house, riding a bike or simply going for a walk around the block. These small activities laid the foundation for many of the exercises we continue to do throughout our lives.

Although many of us share memories of doing activities like these growing up, organizations like ParticipACTION are noticing that there is now a drop off in activity by youth. According to their study, only 9% of Canadian kids ages 5 to 11 accumulate the recommended guideline of 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per day, at least six days a week.

Take steps now to combat this and it will be easier for you and your children to retain a heart-healthy lifestyle over each of your lives. There are many activities that you as a family can do together, and to help provide you with some ideas of fun things to do, we’re sharing 8 of our favorites.

 

Fun Exercises To Do With Your Family

Walk or a Hike

Going for a simple walk around the neighborhood can be a great activity for any age. If you’re looking for something more challenging, organizing a hike with your family can be a great way to maintain your physical fitness while seeing more of the great outdoors. Look at national parks in your area and make a day or weekend of it! Just make sure that you’re properly prepared if you do plan to go out into the wilderness.

Cycling

Families with members of all ages can definitely enjoy the benefits of cycling. The exercise can actually be better for older members of your family as it usually has less impact on the muscles and joints. Organize a bike ride around your neighborhood with your family and see the many parts of your community.

Swimming

Especially during the summer months, swimming can be a great activity for the whole family to enjoy and cool off. Many municipalities offer plenty of family time swims, as well as free swims at pools. If you’re really adventurous, take your family out for a beach day. There are a wide variety of beaches in Ontario, so get out there and explore!

Organize Family Play Times

This sounds super simple, because it is! Simply organize some fun games or sports that you can do in a park or in a backyard that will get you moving. Common games we love to play include, soccer, tag, and water fights. Want to get really creative? Invite extended family or friends from the neighborhood. They may be able to introduce your family to a new game or activity that you may not have been aware of.

Create An Activity Pack

Have some downtime with your family? Build a backpack of basic activity gear with items such as balls or other catch-and-throw objects (like a Frisbee), a jump rope, sidewalk chalk, pylons (to serve as targets or goal posts), a Dyna Band or any other equipment that suits your family’s interests. This pack will help save you on slower days.

Go To The Playground

The Playground offers endless opportunities of fun to be had. Ask your kids about fun games that they like to play with their friends during recess such as grounders, tag, hopscotch, monkey bars and 4-square. This can be difficult for some members of the family, as playgrounds aren’t really meant for adults and can be difficult to maneuver.

Yoga

Yoga is beneficial for anyone at any age. It allows you to center yourself and to stretch out many areas of your body to stay flexible and mobile. The best part is that you can do Yoga anywhere, so whether you’re at the beach, in the backyard, or at home, you’ll always have a space to do this great exercise.

If you would like more ideas on how to stay active with your family, we highly encourage you to go and check out the Participaction’s site. They have a plethora of programs and ideas to help keep you active.

 

Ways That Women Can Help Protect Their Heart

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For many years heart disease was believed to be something that generally only affected men as it was (and still is) the main contributor to premature deaths for men. New research that came out this year from the Heart and Stroke Foundation has found that heart disease is also the #1 contributor to premature death in women as well.

Because of the long-held belief that heart disease primarily affects men, women are often left unaware of the threat. In fact, most Canadian women have at least one risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Women who have diabetes, come from certain ethnic backgrounds or are menopausal are even more at risk.

Many of these risk factors for women can be minimized by looking after certain aspects of one’s life. Below are some tips that will help reduce your risks and resources that you can use to help improve your heart health.

Tips to Improve your Heart Health

Sleep

Sleep is not just downtime. It’s when your heart gets a break, as your blood pressure and heart rate slow down. If you don’t sleep enough, your body constantly produces adrenaline and stress hormones to keep you awake. That means your blood pressure and heart rate doesn’t slow down as well, and that hurts your heart.

Most people need to get 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night to be well rested, so aim for sleeping that much. Anything less than 6 hours tends to increase your risks.

Being Active

Doing any kind of physical activity, whether it be walking, swimming or running,  for 30 minutes each day is commonly recommended by doctors to help reduce the risk of heart disease. Exercise helps to lower blood pressure and helps you lose weight, which overall helps reduce your risk.

As mentioned in the becoming heart healthy section of our site, if you’re just getting back into exercise and are starting off with walking, it’s most beneficial to lose weight by walking for 60 minutes a day, most days of the week to lose those extra inches.

Reduce The Amount You Drink and Focus On Healthy Eating

It can be alright to have a drink occasionally, but having a drink or two a day can increase the risks of heart disease. Although there can be some benefits of alcohols, like wine with antioxidants, it is generally better to reduce the amount you have as it can lead to gaining bad cholesterol.

Eating healthy is also essential to keeping a healthy heart. Reducing foods with trans fats and with lots of sugar helps to reduce your risk. A good rule of thumb is to focus on eating more plants and fewer animals.  Fortunately, we have many heart-healthy recipes that you can use towards developing a heart-healthy diet.

Quit Smoking

Smoking can create blood clots, decreases your levels of good cholesterol, makes it harder to exercise and can raise your blood pressure temporarily, none of which is good for your heart.

If you live in Ontario, here’s a link to some resources that can help you to quit smoking.

Resources

Heart And Stroke Foundation

As they launched a major study into the effects of heart disease on women, they have many great resources on what to look out for and how to improve your health.

Canadian Women’s Heart Health Centre

Recently hosted in Ottawa this past April, the Heart Health Summit is a way for women and health practitioners to talk about the risk of heart disease and ways to help prevent it. This year’s conference has already passed, but the centre also hosts many workshops and classes throughout the year. Whether you’re a researcher, a health practitioner or someone who’s looking to learn more, they’re a great resource.

Participaction

They’re a wonderful resource for learning about and trying new exercises or sports. They not only have great resources for adults, but also for kids on what you can do to stay fit throughout the year.

 

Another Life Saved Thanks To a Mikey

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We’re happy to announce that another life was recently saved thanks to a MIKEY defibrillator. They were saved thanks to the efforts of the Meaford Fire Department whom we donated a MIKEY to a short while ago.
 
It’s exciting that we found out about this save, through the new “Report a Save” button on the Mikey website. If you know of any saves with a MIKEY defibrillator, please reach out to us. 
 

How To Check A MIKEY Defibrillator

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We often get questions about our MIKEYs – who should use them, when they should be used, how they work, and more. Last week, we received a wonderful photo of a student checking a MIKEY defibrillator at the University of Waterloo, which made us think that we should share a list of things everyone should know about using a MIKEY AED.

Below is a list of questions and answers that we often get about our MIKEY defibrillators as well as some tools on how to properly check and test them.

MIKEY Tips and Tools

How Often Should I Check To Make Sure my Mikey Defibrillator is Working?

You should be checking to make sure that your MIKEY defibrillator is working at least once a month. This is essential to ensure that your MIKEY is in working order and is ready to save a life if the need should arise.

To check if it is, use our monthly check up manual available in the link below.

 The Mikey Network Monthly Maintenance Manual

Who Can Use a MIKEY?

Anyone can use a MIKEY. Yes, even you. You don’t have to be a medical professional to use a MIKEY and save a life! Just follow along to the instructions. It’s safe and easy for anyone to use.

When should I use a MIKEY in an Emergency?

When someone experiences sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) in a public place, the most critical actions a bystander can take are to call 9-1-1, and deliver cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to provide blood flow to the heart and brain. One person can do this while another runs to look for a nearby MIKEY (AED).  Once they return with an AED, you can start preparing to operate a charge.

Does an AED Always Deliver a Shock?

The MIKEY automatically assesses the situation and diagnoses if there are potentially life-threatening heart rhythms. If, and only if, the AED detects a problem that may respond positively to an electric shock, it permits a shock to be delivered to restore a normal heart rhythm.

What If I don’t Know the Steps to Use an AED?

The MIKEY gives simple audio instructions designed for ordinary people.  You just open the case and follow the instructions that are delivered through voice prompts. Some MIKEYs automatically provide a shock and some require you to push a button. The MIKEY will tell you when and if you should push the button to deliver a shock.

Can I be Sued if Something Goes Wrong?

Did you know it’s impossible to be sued for using a MIKEY to help someone? Every province has legislation protecting bystanders from lawsuits when they are only trying their best to help someone in an emergency – even if something goes wrong.

Need to find a MIKEY? We have placed over 2000 MIKEY’s all over the world, see where the nearest one is to you. 

How To Prepare for a Heat Wave

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With the rising temperatures across Canada, government agencies have been sending out warnings to citizens about the risk of extreme heat.

This heat has largely affected the areas of Southern Ontario, Quebec and the East Coast.  With 15 deaths in Quebec already this summer, now more than ever is a good time to know how to prepare yourself against the extreme heat.

Most Canadians think that extreme heat can only affect the elderly, but often it can affect people who are suffering from illnesses, and those with heart conditions. We’ve created a list of criteria to follow that you can use to prepare yourself and your loved ones for the heat of the summer.

How to prepare for the extreme heat

Preparing for a heat wave

  • Find areas or ways to keep cool in your home when it’s hot out. This can be as simple as setting up your home with air conditioning or fans.
  • Plan out your day, and know about places that are cool. Most public buildings, malls, and offices offer air conditioning during the day.
  • Discuss heat safety precautions with members of your household. Have a plan for wherever you spend time – home, work and school – and prepare for the possibility of power outages.
  • Make sure to have a plan for your pets as well as your family and make sure that their needs are met. Depending on how shaggy your pets are, they can get pretty hot on summer days.
  • Get trained in first aid, so that you’re able to recognize and respond to emergencies in the heat. The Mikey Young at Heart app is a great tool on the basics of first aid, and how to use an AED, but if you want a full accreditation we recommend reaching out to your local municipality or St.John’s ambulance.

During a Heat Wave

  • Drink plenty of cool fluids. It’s important to keep drinking plenty of fluids throughout the day as you want to remain hydrated throughout.
  • If you can, aim to avoid being outside at the hotter portions of the day. If you can’t, make sure to take regular breaks in a shaded area.
  • Know the humidex rating – it combines the temperature and humidity to indicate how hot the weather feels to the average person.
  • Dress for the heat and for your activity level. Wear light, loose clothing to let air circulate and heat escape.
  • Always wear a hat and apply sunscreen before going outside.
  • Slow down your activities as it gets hotter. Don’t work, exercise, or play outside for an extended period of time. Take frequent breaks if you must work outdoors to let your body cool off.
  • Avoid caffeine and alcohol because they can cause dehydration, which stops your body from controlling its temperature properly.

Symptoms to look out for:

  • Dizziness or fainting
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Rapid breathing and heartbeat
  • Extreme thirst
  • Decreased urination with unusually dark yellow urine
  • Changes of behaviour in children

Things that you can do to help others

  • Bring extra supplies with you that you can give away to friends or to someone in need, like a bottle of water. This is extremely helpful when you’re planning to go out for a day at the park or another public area.
  • Check in on neighbours, family members, and friends who you know don’t have air conditioning, are older, or have illnesses. Bring them a care package of water, and spend time with them to make sure that they’re alright.
  • Share on social media or other online platforms the location of cooldown centres, or water stations in your area.

For this list, we referenced an advisory from the Red Cross. If you need more advice on heat waves or an understanding of how to respond to different emergencies, we recommend using their site as it has many great resources.