YOUR FITNESS COACH
For advertising information visit www.samplerpublications.com or call 859.225.4466 | February 2015
Start Kettlebell Swinging to
Heart Health
&
By Willie B. Ray, Personal Trainer,
Art of Strength Kettle Bell Gym
1301 Winchester Road #129
Lexington, KY 40505
Whether
you have suffered from heart
problems or you want to take measures to prevent potential future heart health issues, I am
going to describe in this article how kettlebell
training will improve your heart health – from
personal experience, client testimonies and the
research.
Kettlebell training conditions the body to
perform movements in a more effective and
efficient manner with the proper alignment
and support, resulting in fewer aches, pains,
stretches and strains. Many of my clients return
with stories of diminished back, shoulder,
hip, and knee pain in addition to a remarkable
increase in endurance and stability. Although
kettlebell training improves posture while
opening up and stretching out our bodies
from the forward-slumping positions we hold
unknowingly throughout the day, another
major benefit to this type of training is the
documented heart health benefits.
First I will share a testimony from a 30 year
old, two time heart attack survivor who began
training with kettlebells and experienced phenomenal results. After one year of kettlebell
training and managing his diet, he dropped 20
pounds and had a blood pressure of 106 over
70 and resting heart rate of 58 without having
taken his medication for several days due to
running out before making it back to the doctor. This young man was able to reduce his
medications within a year of kettlebell training
and managing his diet. When asked to describe
how he feels about the journey, he states the
following:
“I actually feel less constrained, free to push
my limits without needing to constantly glance
at my watch to make sure I’m not going too
hard. I’m free to continue gaining strength,
fitness, and health, expanding upon the gains
I’ve made so far. And I’m free now to listen to
my body and go harder when I can and back
off when I need. It’s liberating, it’s encouraging,
and it’s just what I wanted to hear. Since my last
visit to the doctor, I’ve dropped 20 lbs., gained
lean healthy muscle, essentially corrected my
blood pressure using only intermittent or
less-than-consistent medication, improved
my posture, and gained significant functional
strength.”
The benefits from kettlebells as it relates
to heart health is also documented in the
research. A study done by Shevtsova (1993)
showed a long-term decrease in heart rate and
blood pressure in seventy-five participants after
three to five years of experience working with
kettlebells. The
average resting HR was recorded
at 56 beats per minute, the BP 110/70 in the
summer and 114/74 in the winter. The resting
at 859-221-4479 or supernat_us@yahoo.
heart rate took a decreased, but also the heart
com. You can also visit me on Facebook at No
rate decreased during and after exercise needLimits Innovative Strength Training.
ing less time to slow down back to normal.
Overall, the researchers reported “a normal
Yours in Health,
adaptation of the cardio-vascular system to
Willie B. Ray
training stress” and “an increased functional
capacity of the heart”.
What can you expect from regular training
with kettlebells? You can expect to notice an
improvement to your cardiovascular health,
one of many benefits. You will have
better blood flow
to the heart, which
can increase overall
heart health, and
increase overall
circulation within
the body resulting
in decreased blood
pressure and heart
rates. If you would
like to learn more
about kettlebell
training toward
improved heart
www.artofstrengthlexington.com
health and much
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