Did you know that February is American Heart Month? I know it's no news to you when I say that a healthy heart is important! The heart pumps our blood through our body and provides our body with the oxygen and nutrients it needs as well as carrying away the waste that we don't need. I want this muscle to be strong since it is so important!
It's a sad fact but heart disease is the number one killer. It is the cause of 1 in 4 deaths in the United States today. And it affects us all. My own grandfather died of heart disease.
So how do we keep our heart strong and healthy?
- Check your blood pressure regularly. Know what the numbers mean. There are no symptoms for high blood pressure so if you don't check it regularly you won't know if you're in danger.
- Exercise on a regular basis. Exercising helps keep your heart healthy and your blood pressure down. Plus it's a great stress reliever too!
- Don't smoke. Smoking is a major contributor to heart disease. Even secondhand smoke is dangerous to your heart.
- Eat a healthy diet and maintain a healthy weight. We need to choose those healthy foods that keep our bodies happy and healthy. Plus they taste pretty good too!
Checking your blood pressure regularly is an important part to staying heart healthy. Most people only check it when they go to the doctor. But now there is a way you can check it often...at home!
iHealth has a wireless blood pressure wrist monitor and offered to send it to me to review!
This blood pressure monitor has a cuff that wraps around your wrist. It has motion sensor technology that ensures that you will get the most accurate reading. It all works through Bluetooth and the iHealth My Vitals free app for your iPhone, iPod, and iPad.
It was super simple to use and took me less than a minute to get my blood pressure reading. One of the coolest things....it would not start until you had your arm in the right position. It was recommended to place the monitor's travel case under your arm for support and to have your arm in the right position. It also wanted to use your left arm.
The directions say to sit in a chair with your feet flat on the floor and legs uncrossed. You also have to sit still during the measurement. You place your hand palm side up and wrap the cuff around your wrist, above the wrist joint. The iHealth logo should be facing upright if you have it in the correct position. Then you have to make sure your arm is in the correct position. If it isn't, the app will tell you and will not start the measurement. Then you hit start and sit still while the cuff gets tighter around your wrist. Less than a minute later...you have your blood pressure reading!
I am a data person so I LOVE all the data the app gives you! It tells you your systolic and diastolic numbers and your heart rate.
I love the graph it shows you. From there you can tell whether your blood pressure is in the normal range or not.
As you can see my reading shows my blood pressure is in the normal range. Actually...it's a little on the low side but I've always had a lower blood pressure. The doctor has never been worried about it and thinks it's because I am pretty active.
I am excited to have this blood pressure monitor so I can check mine and my family's blood pressure on a regular basis! Both of my boys were good sports and let me check theirs!
The iHealth Wireless Blood Pressure Wrist Monitor is very affordable! It's only $79 and can be found online or at Best Buy and Apple Stores. It's a very good investment in making sure you stay heart healthy!
Be sure to check out all the other personal mobile health products that iHealth offers! I personally have my eye on the wireless body analysis scale!
You can also check iHealth out on Facebook and Twitter!
QOTD: When was the last time you checked your blood pressure?
