A couple of years ago, Patsy noticed I was breathing deeper, if that's the correct term, during some of our hikes. At that time we were going 4 to 5 days a week in the Black Warrior Mountains / Bankhead Forest and exploring offtrail usually doing 3 to 4 miles per trip. I shared some of our findings here.
Wives doing what they do, Patsy got me an appointment with a cardiologist in Huntsville (Dr. Mann). She put me through a set of test and determined I have 50% blockage in each of the main arteries in my / going to my heart. She said they don't do anything surgically until they reach 70% blocked. The test also showed my cardio-recovery rate was very low, seems like 12 and she wanted it around 19 to 21 I think.
She put me on the Mediterranean diet and i lost 26 pounds. I haven't stuck to the diet 100% because all the green veggies raised my potassium level to high. But part of the reason of my weight loss was she told me to start push mowing my yard instead of using a riding lawn mower. I mow around an acre and a half here, now mow the old homeplace which is a little larger plus the mountain cemetery where Patsy's folks are buried. My cardio-recovery rate, if that's the correct term, now varies between 19 and 21. So mission accomplished.
During the winter when I didn't mow the yard, my recovery rate dropped to 16. During my checkup the other day she said going to the gym and doing resistance type exercise during the winter months would be good.
I couldn't understand why hiking up and down the mountains wasn't just as good as push mowing the yard and she said, "hiking doesn't get the upper body involved enough. Using a push mower, for the distance I use it, will." and I guess she was right.
From yesterday mowing the mountain cemetery, I turn on the hiking workout mainly for the distance. The health app does the cardio stuff.
Wives doing what they do, Patsy got me an appointment with a cardiologist in Huntsville (Dr. Mann). She put me through a set of test and determined I have 50% blockage in each of the main arteries in my / going to my heart. She said they don't do anything surgically until they reach 70% blocked. The test also showed my cardio-recovery rate was very low, seems like 12 and she wanted it around 19 to 21 I think.
She put me on the Mediterranean diet and i lost 26 pounds. I haven't stuck to the diet 100% because all the green veggies raised my potassium level to high. But part of the reason of my weight loss was she told me to start push mowing my yard instead of using a riding lawn mower. I mow around an acre and a half here, now mow the old homeplace which is a little larger plus the mountain cemetery where Patsy's folks are buried. My cardio-recovery rate, if that's the correct term, now varies between 19 and 21. So mission accomplished.
During the winter when I didn't mow the yard, my recovery rate dropped to 16. During my checkup the other day she said going to the gym and doing resistance type exercise during the winter months would be good.
I couldn't understand why hiking up and down the mountains wasn't just as good as push mowing the yard and she said, "hiking doesn't get the upper body involved enough. Using a push mower, for the distance I use it, will." and I guess she was right.
From yesterday mowing the mountain cemetery, I turn on the hiking workout mainly for the distance. The health app does the cardio stuff.
