I am now into my third week of Stage IV Cardio Rehab, or better known as the “Healthy Heart” program. It was suggested that I sign up for this extra session of Cardio Rehab at Health Trac. Unlike Stage II, this program doesn’t consist of any classroom time. Heart Healthy meets every Tuesday and Thursday for one hour for a total of six weeks. After receiving our heart monitor and wrist watch, we get our blood pressure checked, then workout on the cardio equipment for about fifteen minutes before going to the aerobic room for a half hour of aerobics.
There about five or six of us in this particular class and we’ve gotten to know each other so far over the first couple of weeks. We’ve all had heart issues, so there is never a lag in the conversations we have during the class. Our group leader is Megan and she knows how to put us through the paces. She is constantly checking on us individually as we go through the exercises so that no one ever does more than they feel comfortable with. Megan is very good at what she does and we all have fun working with her. She selects the music we exercise to and we all have fun guessing who the artist is playing the songs. Megan is too young to recognize music by the Glenn Miller Orchestra or Percy Faith, but that’s okay, we don’t mind listening to Journey or Bruce Springsteen. I’m sure the six weeks will pass much too quickly, but I’m sure we will all feel much better for taking advantage of the session.
The Beacon Wellness Center is a fantastic place to hang out. You get to meet some fantastic people and the staff couldn’t be any friendlier or helpful. There are plenty of programs and activities to get involved in and the nice thing about it is that it’s all good for you. If you haven’t done so, please stop by and check out what there is available. You won’t be disappointed.
Since I’ve been wearing hearing aids, I’ve become more aware of the amount of unneeded noise out there. It’s quite annoying to be at a stoplight and have someone pull up next to you with their radio playing so loud that you have no problem hearing the lyrics of a song. Then there’s always someone who has their bass turned way up and things inside your car rattle. You don’t dare say anything to the person, because the annoyance is none of your business.
I’ve previously mentioned things we can do to protect our eyesight, so here are some things you might want to do to protect your hearing. Hearing aids are a big help, but it’s not that cool to be wearing them. Here are a few suggestions:
- Invest in high-quality earplugs. High-fidelity earplugs, like the ones musicians wear, block out loud noises, but allow you to hear others in a conversation.
- Check your phone’s volume settings. Set it to no more than 60% of the maximum levels.
- Block the sirens. You’re not crazy to plug your ears when a fire truck goes by. A siren can expose you to 110-129 decibels and cause damage in less than a minute.
- Take up a meditation practice. In one study, 50% of participants who engaged in an eight-week mindfulness meditation program noted reduced stress from tinnitus. Stress can worsen symptoms.
- Establish an aerobic fitness plan. Research has shown that those with high cardio-vascular fitness delayed the onset of noticeable hearing loss by approximately five years.
See you Out and About!
