According to the CDC, one person dies every 37 seconds in the United States from cardiovascular disease. About 647,000 Americans die from heart disease each year—that’s 1 in every 4 deaths. Needless to say, having your heart stop or having high blood pressure is a scary thought. So what are some adjunct or alternative ways to keep up your heart healthy?
Whole Body Cryotherapy
According to an article on ABC News, across the nation, doctors are steadily perfecting the method of healing cardiac arrest patients using hypothermia. This is where the benefits of Whole Body Cryotherapy (WBC) on cardiovascular health comes in. The heart seems to be the new muscle to ice. Studies have consistently demonstrated the effectiveness of hypothermic treatment in the absence of a heartbeat, so much so that the American Heart Association recently urged physicians around the world to start implementing the approach. Researchers are trying to expand use of this cold concept to treat the heart itself, by minimizing damage in any part of the organ that has lost its blood supply due to a heart attack. According to Dr. William O’Neill, director of the cardiovascular disease division at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan, hypothermia decreases the metabolic energy requirement of heart muscle and blunts the inflammatory response that is generally considered to be harmful to heart muscle. It is also proven that WBC can aid in lowering one’s blood pressure.
Infrared Sauna
Infrared saunas are the only FDA approved sauna for heart disease that is also backed by the American Heart Association. Here is why: When far-infrared light is applied to the body, its natural reaction is to cool itself. Releasing hormones from the hypothalamus to the eccrine sweat glands throughout the body. As you begin to sweat the body’s consumption of oxygen increases and blood flow increases sending oxygen and nutrient rich blood to the extremities. This is known as a passive cardiovascular workout. There are a multitude of studies confirming the healing benefits of far-infrared sauna on the cardiovascular system. Heart healthy benefits include improved healing from heart attack or myocardial infarction, management of congestive and chronic heart failure & COPD, improved blood pressure, improved endothelial function, reduced heart rate variability and oxidative stress as well as enhanced physical performance.
NormaTec Compression System
NormaTec increases blood flow throughout the body by moving large amounts of blood through the extremities and back up to the heart. Richer oxygen, nutrients and proteins in your blood means the blood being pushed back to the heart and lungs is at a faster rate than normal, allowing more oxygen to be passed through the vessels and return into the muscles. You also receive immense amounts of nutrients as the blood is passed through the heart.