Miami Women-Only Fitness Bootcamp

Exercise strengthens your heart and improves your circulation. The increased blood flow raises the oxygen levels in your body. This helps lower your risk of heart diseases such as high cholesterol, coronary artery disease, and heart attack. Regular exercise can also lower your blood pressure and triglyceride levels.

Just as exercise strengthens other muscles in your body, it helps your heart muscle become more efficient and better able to pump blood throughout your body. This means that the heart pushes out more blood with each beat, allowing it to beat slower and keep your blood pressure under control.

When you exercise regularly, your body’s tissue (including the heart) does a better job of pulling oxygen from your blood. This allows your heart to work better under stress and keeps you from getting winded during high-intensity activities.

Physical activity also allows better blood flow in the small blood vessels around your heart. Clogs in these arteries can lead to heart attacks. There’s also evidence that exercise helps your body make more branches and connections between these blood vessels, so there are other routes for your blood to travel if the usual path is blocked by narrow arteries or fatty deposits.

Exercise also increases your levels of HDL cholesterol, the “good” cholesterol that lowers heart disease risk by flushing the artery-clogging LDL or “bad” cholesterol out of your system.

Along with lowering your risk for heart disease, exercise:

• Keeps your weight down.
• Improves your mood.
• Lowers your risk for some types of cancer.
• Improves your balance.
• Reduces your risk of osteoporosis by increasing your bone mass.
• Gives you more energy.
• Helps you sleep better.

What does eating right for your heart mean?

A heart–healthy diet includes foods that are low in saturated and trans fats, added sugars, and sodium (salt).  Heart–healthy items include high-fiber foods (whole grains, fruits, and vegetables) and certain fats (like the fats in olive oil and fish). Lean proteins such as chicken and turkey breast, fish and shellfish high in omega-3 fatty acids.

KNOW YOUR NUMBERS (and aim for the ones below!)

In order to make sure everything is functioning as it should, a check-in with your health provider from time to time is a good idea. Here are 4 numbers you should know to ensure you’re doing your part in staying healthy.

Atherosclerosis is a disease affecting blood vessels called arteries.

Fatty material called plaque, builds up within the inner lining of arteries causing them to narrow and be less flexible. These plaque deposits are made up of cholesterol, fatty substances, cellular waste products, calcium and fibrin (a clotting material in the blood). This narrowing reduces the blood flow and oxygen that is being delivered to vital organs.  Atherosclerosis can occur anywhere in your body, but it is especially dangerous when it affects the arteries leading to your brain, heart, kidneys and legs.  

When atherosclerosis affects the arteries that supply blood to the heart, the coronary arteries, it can restrict blood flow to the heart muscle. This is known as Coronary Artery Disease (CAD).

Coronary artery disease can cause angina symptoms, such as chest pain or pressure. It can lead to a heart attack.  Sadly, it the most common type of heart disease & the #1 killer of both men and women in the United States.

BE PROACTIVE!

You can slow or stop atherosclerosis by taking care of the risk factors. That means a healthy diet, exercise, and no smoking. These changes won’t remove blockages, but they’re proven to lower the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Once you have a blockage, it’s generally there to stay. But with medication and lifestyle changes, you can slow or stop plaques. Drugs for high cholesterol and high blood pressure will slow and may even halt atherosclerosis. They could also lower your risk of hearts attack and strokes.

This week, I am dedicating every post to educating you about how to keep your heart healthy and strong!

SUGAR! Cut it out! (Or at least be conscious of your daily intake.)

Consuming more energy in the form of sugar can increase body fat. And, because of its chemically active nature, more body fat increases cardiovascular disease risk.

According to the American Heart Association, women should consume less than 100 calories of added sugar per day (about 6 teaspoons).

To put that in perspective, a 12-ounce can of Coca-Cola contains about 10 teaspoons of sugar, so having even one a day would put us over the daily limit.

ALTERNATIVES?

Water! Water! Water! You just have to get used to it.
You can also mix a little fruit juice or fruit with seltzer water as a replacement.

The bottom line is that we are consuming too much sugar. It’s everywhere – sometimes obvious, most times disguised under a different name. Be aware of what you’re eating and get educated about the ingredients. We need to stop the weight gain trend that’s been happening over the past 60 years.

LOOK WHO IS STARTING THE MONTH WITH A BANG!

1. Age: 27

2. Profession: CPA, Tax and Small Biz Advisor

3. When did you first start training at WOFB and how did you find out about us?
I started training at WOFB in the Fall of 2017

4. Tell us about your sports & fitness background: I used to play soccer a very long time ago. But I began my fitness journey with WOFB

5. Favorite Exercise (or type of workout): deadlifts!

6. Least Favorite Exercise: Pull ups

7. What sort of changes have you seen in your body, health and overall fitness since starting WOFB?
Where do I start! My body feels and looks more lean, especially my lower body. I also have a lot of energy after the 5:45am classes. I wasn’t able to run for more than 30 secs when I began. I feel stronger and more in control of both my mental and physical health.

We are so proud of you, Kenia! Keep up the excellent effort!!!

Coach Abraham and his significant other welcomed their first child on Wednesday night – a baby boy!  Welcome to the world Baby Roman Ali Aguirre! 

JOIN US THIS SATURDAY AS WE STRENGTHEN OUR LEGS AND HEART DOING STAIRS!!! Meet us in our favorite garage at 6:59AM! If you need more direction on where to meet, email us at WOFBmiami@gmail.com.

Are you ready to take your discipline to the next level?

Are you ready to finally say goodbye to that unwanted weight?

Are you ready to work for those goals and prove to yourself that you can do it??

Our 12-WEEK TRANSFORMATION CHALLENGE kicks off on Monday, February 22, 2020.

Measurements and initial photos will be taken the weekend of Feb 19, 20 & 21. More details to follow!