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Let’s talk about HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE! First things first, we know that there are some genetic predispositions to certain chronic diseases. And absolutely healthy, people can still get sick! However, if we can prevent as much as we can through lifestyle changes, we can LIVE the life we want without sacrificing our health and longevity. High blood pressure is one of the most common illnesses we see when people start on their wellness journey. Thankfully it is also one that you can easily turn around! According to the American Heart Association High blood pressure (HBP or hypertension) is when your blood pressure, the force of your blood pushing against the walls of your blood vessels, is consistently too high. In order to survive and function properly, your tissues and organs need the oxygenated blood that your circulatory system carries throughout the body. When the heart beats, it creates pressure that pushes blood through a network of tube-shaped blood vessels, which include arteries, veins and capillaries. This pressure — blood pressure — is the result of two forces: The first force (systolic pressure) occurs as blood pumps out of the heart and into the arteries that are part of the circulatory system. The second force (diastolic pressure) is created as the heart rests between heart beats. The primary way that high blood pressure causes harm is by increasing the workload of the heart and blood vessels — making them work harder and less efficiently. Over time, the force and friction of high blood pressure damages the delicate tissues inside the arteries. In turn, LDL (bad) cholesterol forms plaque along tiny tears in the artery walls, signifying the start of atherosclerosis. The more the plaque and damage increases, the narrower (smaller) the insides of the arteries become — raising blood pressure and starting a vicious circle that further harms your arteries, heart and the rest of your body. This can ultimately lead to other conditions ranging from arrhythmia to heart attack and stroke. Many new members come into 1936 with an array of health conditions- though high blood pressure is of great concern to us as we get your heart pumping through exercise! There are many lifestyle changes that you can make in order to help lessen or even eliminate the need for medications.
Sounds easy right? Not always! What does “Eat healthy” mean? How much food? What kinds of foods? I don’t like vegetables. “Exercise more?” How many days per week? Should I use weights? How heavy? I don’t want to get hurt. “Maintain a healthy weight” What is that for me? I thought muscle weighed more than fat. What if I lose weight but I still have high cholesterol/high blood pressure? “Reduce stress?!?” Yeah right! How do I do that? This is where we come in… Doctors will give you the above information, resources and printed tools. They will not however, go grocery shopping with you. I am sure some would love to give a more well rounded approach, they simply do not have time and cannot be reimbursed from insurance companies to do so. We interview every potential member to make sure that they are a good fit and that we can help them quickly reach their goals. Why? Because we don’t have a pill to fix and correct the toxic lifestyle habits you have created. That takes time, effort and accountability. We can help you in every one of the above lifestyle habits above. We can teach you to eat the right amounts of what foods. We can measure and monitor your weight, body fat and muscle mass to account for actual metabolic change. We can coach and train you on the proper workout movements and stimulus customized just for you. We coach mindset, breathing, recovery, sleep and self-care. And most importantly we will become your support, your tribe and you anchor when you need it most. We are that place. We are those people. We are different. We know we can change your life. Please read on about one of our most amazing members Donna. Her story is just one of lives forever changed by simply scheduling an interview. Donna March 2015 In my regular scheduled doctor visit I had blood work done and my Hyperlipidemia (abnormally high concentration of fat in the blood) count was 272.4. My Doctor suggested consulting with a nutritionist and possibly going on cholesterol medicine. Sadly, I did neither because I just did not care .... thinking I can change my lifestyle on my own. I also was considered to be obese at this time. August 2018 I started at 1936 RiverCity Fitness. I was able to drop 35 pounds! My cholesterol went down to 131. I was able to change my nutrition habits. I ate more veggies and protein. I drank more water and I started exercising 3-5 days each week. I have seen such positive physical results in my time at 1936. I feel better, I have more energy and I am able to do more than I ever thought I could in the gym. The best part of my fitness journey has been the positive cognitive (mental) and emotional results! I have more confidence in my physical abilities which is important to me as I love doing active things. I have increased my self confidence in everything. I was vacationing in the Dominican Republic (May of 2019) and I went zip lining!! There is no way that I would have done this before. I wasn’t physically strong enough and my confidence was too low. I am so glad I was able to experience that! July 2020 I had another doctor's appointment and the nurse asked me if I planned to lose 21 pounds since the last time I was there. Never in my life had I thought I would be asked this question. It was another small insight to know that I am still on the right track. These past few months have been so challenging for so many people. I am confident that being able to focus on my health and fitness has given me the stress outlet I need. I now know that I can do hard things and that I can drastically change my health so that I can live my life on my terms. Give it a shot- schedule an interview! ~Donna 
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Sheldon WilliamsCrossFit 1936 Archives
October 2020
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