The Latest Mikey Network News

Canada’s 911 Ride continues to champion The Mikey Network

Every year the Canada 911 Foundation holds Canada’s 911 Rides, to raise funds and awareness to benefit families of fallen emergency service personnel, children who were victims of violent crimes, and The Mikey Network. 

This past weekend was the Ontario ride, which saw The Mikey Network place and commit 3 new MIKEYs (AEDs) along the two-day ride. The first was placed with Muskoka Woods City Camp. Ramara Township Fire Department and Beaverton Curling Club, will be receiving their MIKEYs shortly.

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This is our 10th year riding along with Canada 911 Foundation, and this year’s Canada’s 911 Ride raised almost $10,000 for The Mikey Network. This brings the total amount raised to $230,000! Canada's 911 Ride

We are so grateful for their support. The money they have raised has enabled us to place more than 100 MIKEYS with families and organizations in need. 

If you’re interested in participating in next year’s ride or donating to the cause, check out the Canada 911 Foundation web page.

Please check out this feature CTV News did on this year’s ride.

The Benefits Of The Mikey Young At Heart Program

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As students head back to school there is often a lot to occupy their time during the first few weeks of the semester. They’re catching up with friends, joining clubs, and beginning their studies. All of these activities are highly important while progressing through high school, but one that should be added is learning about how to save a life.

To help your child get back into learning mode, as well as learning about the proper procedures for saving a life, we recommend that they sign up to the Mikey Young At Heart App. Now is the perfect time to do so, as they won’t be overwhelmed with a course schedule, as well as the many other activities that occupy kids when they head back to school.

The app which was created to provide your child with an understanding of CPR procedures and how to use an AED, is taught through instructional videos that they can view at their own pace. Not only is the app easy to use, the hours accumulated on it also count towards their volunteer hours that they will need to earn during the semester.

The best part about the app is that you can access it anywhere, so whether your child is at home relaxing, or studying with friends; they can keep learning.

Don’t just take our word for how great the Mikey Young at Heart app is, ask our friend Kayley Baker, who this past year helped to save the life of an elderly man in downtown Toronto thanks to her training on the app.

I was walking in downtown Toronto on Labour Day Monday with my grandmother when we noticed people making a fuss. There was a man on the ground and he was blue in colour. Automatically I knew something was wrong!

My grandmother grabbed my backpack and I knelt down beside him to perform CPR. I got to just over 30 compressions and he started to make a wheezing noise. There were people standing around but nobody else knew how to properly perform CPR.

I knew CPR because I went through the Mikey Young At Heart App. Going through the videos and quizzes gave me the confidence to act immediately and without fear. I knew what to do and I knew if I did it, this man would have a better chance of survival.”

Learn more about Kayley’s story here.

Each year in Ontario, children and teens are among the 6,500 people who experience Sudden Cardiac Arrest. If administering CPR or an AED during an emergency like the one Kayley experienced, a person has a much higher chance of surviving. Sign up to the Mikey Young At Heart app today to learn how it can benefit your life and others.

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.

 

Heart Healthy Foods To Have At The Cottage

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An important part of maintaining a heart healthy lifestyle is in the diet that we keep. While the summer can bring many delicious fruits and vegetables that are only available during the warmer months of the year, it can be very easy for many of us to reach for unhealthy options like processed meats, fried foods or sugary treats. These foods can be fine in moderation, but often there are healthier options that can be just as delicious.

As we approach the upcoming August long weekend, we encourage you and your family to try some of these heart healthy foods at the cottage.

Heart Healthy Foods To Have At The Cottage

Salmon

Looking for a red meat substitute to throw on the grill? Try fresh salmon. Salmon and other oily fish like sardines, tuna, herring and mackerel are rich in omega 3, which helps to reduce blood pressure and clotting.

Avocado

Avocados are great for providing you with good fats and lots of fiber, which can help to reduce your cholesterol. The best part about avocados is that they’re very versatile! Add them to a salad, a burger, really anything that you think will go great with this delicious fruit.

Nuts (Almonds and Walnuts)

Instead of opting for a big bag of chips go to the local grocery store and opt for some nuts. Most nuts are low in saturated fat and cholesterol, which can help to reduce the risk of heart disease. We recommend getting some walnuts or almonds to snack on, as they’re not only a handy treat but also a great to have with in salads and desserts.

Asparagus

Asparagus is full of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory nutrients which reduces the risk of heart disease. Asparagus is great to have over the BBQ grill with olive oil and a little salt and pepper.

Pomegranate Juice

Not only is pomegranate juice delicious, it’s also packed with antioxidants and is antihypertensive. Have it on it’s own or add it in with some other fruit juices, seltzer or cocktails.

Recipes

Before heading up to the cottage many families tend to plan out their meals in advance. The traffic at the local stores can be overwhelming, so it can sometimes be better to avoid them for the first few days and just plan ahead. Looking for some summer heart healthy recipes that you can use this weekend? Don’t worry we have a bunch that you can use.

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

 

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.