The Latest Mikey Network News

Tips on how to start your 2020 workout routine

Now that the holidays are over and the new year is here, many of us have started to shift towards a healthier lifestyle as a part of a new year’s resolution. Initially, it may seem like an easy task, but many of us struggle to eat a heart-healthy diet and exercise regularly for the entire year.

To help you during this transition we’ve developed some helpful tips and tools that you can use to keep your resolutions for the whole year. This week we’re sharing some advice and tips on heart healthy exercises.

Heart Healthy Exercises

Aerobic exercises

Aerobic activities are some of the best exercises for your heart health as they help to increase stamina and improve the function of your heart. Depending on your fitness level the intensity of your workout will vary. Regardless of your intensity, most aerobic workouts recommend that you should do 30 minutes of exercise five times a week to keep an active lifestyle. If 30 minutes is too much for you at the beginning, try to do 10 minutes and gradually increase the amount of your workout.

If you’re beginning to do a physical activity after a long absence or have recently suffered a heart attack, we recommend contacting your doctor to see what kind of exercises they recommend.

Some popular aerobic exercises include: walking, bicycling, swimming and jogging.

Strength

Performing strength training is not only beneficial towards your heart health but can also help to reduce common ailments such as arthritis and osteoporosis.

Although there are numerous strength workouts online that focus on lifting heavy weights, we recommend trying to use your own bodyweight, small hand weights or resistance bands as you get back into the rhythm of working out. Performing these simple exercises will help to regain strength and ease you back into more intensive strength workouts.

Stretching

Stretching is highly beneficial before a workout as it reduces the risk of injury and prepares your body for more strenuous exercises. Focus on stretching slowly and gently. As you continue to workout more make attempts to try other stretches, but if you begin to feel pain in your muscles, stop.

Examples of common stretches

  • To loosen the muscles in the front of your thighs lean against a wall, grab hold of one foot and pull your heel toward your buttock.
  • Stretch your calf by leaning your forearms against a wall. Take a step back with one foot, straighten that leg and bend the front leg slightly. Repeat on the other side.
  • Loosen your upper body by raising your arms over your head and clasping your fingers together. Pull your arms back slightly and with your fingers still clasped, open your palms toward the ceiling.

Sports

A great way to begin your 2020 fitness journey and keep consistently active throughout the year is by signing up for a sport. Sports can vary in the rate of their activity, so aim to join something that is closer to your fitness and activity level. Sports like soccer, basketball and hockey can require a high amount of physical energy, which can be tough on the body when first starting out.

More moderate sports to join include: curling, volleyball, swimming or even downhill skiing. A good practice when choosing a sport is to find one that fits your personality, so you’ll be motivated to stick with it.

As we say goodbye to 2019, The Beat Goes On

The holiday season is a time for reflection, and one of the things that many of us think about is what we’ve accomplished this year. When Heathwood Homes and Herity established The Mikey Network back in 2003, we had the goal of placing as many MIKEYs (Automated External Defibrillators) as we could in as many places as possible.

Throughout the year, all of our efforts and fundraising helped us towards that goal. With the help of volunteers and community partners, the expansion of The Mikey Network has created a tremendous impact in our communities. These individuals have put an ample amount of hard work, time, determination, and support, to give families a second chance at life with their loved ones.

The unfortunate truth is that Cardiac Arrest can happen to anyone- from a newborn infant to a senior. We’ve established a number of different programs to try to make sure a life-saving MIKEY is available if a Sudden Cardiac Arrest should strike. No matter where you are.

Our Mikey On the Go program placed 100 MIKEY AEDs protecting more than 100,000 bus and train travelers of all ages on a typical weekday.

Mikey Cops Are Tops put 100 MIKEYs with the Toronto Police Services, Provincial Courts, and Collision Centers.

Mikey On Board places MIKEYs on transportation vehicles that move throughout our communities, including every TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® moving truck in Canada.

Our Mikey Young at Heart program has placed over 500 MIKEYs in schools including the Toronto District School Board, Peel District School Board, Halton District School Board, Halton Catholic District School Board, and Limestone District School Board. In addition, the Mikey Young At Heart App has educated thousands of High School students in how to use a defibrillator and how to perform CPR.

Our Mikey’s Kids program places portable MIKEYs with children at high risk of Sudden Cardiac Arrest, that need to have a MIKEY at hand at all times. Many of these children would not be able to leave the hospital without their MIKEY.

Take a few moments to read some of our biggest stories of 2019:

The the work that has been done has truly been an incredible gift for us. We thank everyone for their dedication, support, and generosity, in making these initiatives possible. Let us continue to work together to provide more MIKEYs in the New Year. Happy Holidays!



Congratulations to the 2019 Mikey Network Award Recipients

Each year The Mikey Network awards a scholarship grant for students at the Ryerson University School of Nutrition, to recognize academic excellence and the promotion of nutrition to prevent chronic heart disease.

We would like to congratulate Yue Gao and Karli Nummikoski for being this year’s Mikey Network Award recipients!

Congratulations, Yue and Karli! We hope that this award provides motivation, encouragement, and is one of the first steps in helping you to make the world a healthier place!

Heart Healthy Meals For Winter

,

An important part of maintaining a heart healthy lifestyle is in the diet that we keep. With the cooler temperatures that Winter brings we tend to gravitate towards meals that are generally very hearty and tend to warm us up from the cold. These meals are usually very good for us, as they are often made up of many vegetables like soups, which provide us with essential nutrients.

Below are some heart-healthy recipes that we will regularly use during the fall months that our registered dietitian, Marsha Rosen, created for us. We hope that you enjoy each of them as much as we have.

Apple Cranberry Crisp

Meal in a Bowl Soup

Miso Chicken

Tart Apple Buttermilk Cake

Warm Winter Fruit

Chicken Chili

Minestrone Soup

Zucchini Soup

Oven-Fried Sweet Potatoes

Corn, Potato and Shrimp Chowder

For more heart healthy recipes, check out the heart-healthy living section of our site.

Heart Healthy Tips For Shoveling

,
Winter yard work

With much of the country already experiencing plenty of snowfalls this winter, we thought that it would be a good time to talk about how the cold weather can increase the risk of a heart attack or a sudden cardiac arrest. More importantly how you can protect your heart and reduce that risk.

Although shoveling can seem like an easy chore, it can easily become a strenuous activity leaving you with plenty of fatigue. Lifting snow with a shovel back and forth across a driveway can take a lot out of those who are not regularly active. This can also be the case for those who have snowblowers, as the act of pushing the heavy machine can cause the same amount of strain.

In addition to the activity, the cold weather is another contributor to an increased risk as it can boost blood pressure, interrupt blood flow to part of the heart and make blood more likely to form clots.

Follow our tips below to make sure that you’re well prepared for shoveling your home this winter.

Before you shovel snow

  • If you’re recovering from a recent heart attack or have any doubts about shoveling affecting your health, please contact a doctor.
  • Look to avoid shoveling early on in the morning. Your blood is more prone to clotting due to the lower temperature. Aim to do it at a warmer point of the day if possible.
  • Do not eat a heavy meal before shoveling, as your blood will be diverted from the heart to the stomach.
  • Treat shoveling like a workout and warm up your body before you begin. Even something as simple as walking to the end of the street will be beneficial.
  • Do not drink coffee or smoke for at least one hour before or one hour after shoveling. These are stimulants and elevate your blood pressure and heart rate.

While shoveling snow

  • Use a small shovel that you can comfortably handle, rather than one that can pick up a lot of snow. Having a smaller shovel will allow for more loads, and won’t stress out your body.
  • Give yourself a lot of time to shovel. Plan to make frequent, 15-minute breaks.
  • Drink plenty of water
  • Dress in the appropriate amount of layers. Dress so you avoid hypothermia, but not too much and overheat. You could sweat a lot with too much clothing, which could result in the opposite effect of what you’re hoping for.
  • Make sure to cover your head and your neck.
  • Cover your mouth (breathing cold air can cause angina or trigger breathing problems).
  • Watch for the stereotypical signs of a heart attack: lightheadedness, dizziness, being short of breath or if you have tightness or burning in chest, neck, arms or back. If you or you think someone is having a heart attack, call 911 right away.

We hope that you’ve found these tips valuable. Stay safe and happy shoveling!