A New Beginning 2012-7 - UHSM

Think about your neck. Feel the tension melt away from your neck and shoulders. Each time you
breathe out, relax your neck a little more.
Now before you move on, just check to see if all these parts of your body are still relaxed - your
feet, legs, back, tummy, hands, arms, neck and shoulders. Keep your breathing gentle and easy.
Every time you breathe out relax a little more and let all the tensions ease away from your body.
No tensions - just enjoy this feeling of relaxation.
Now think about your face. Let your whole face relax. Smooth out your brow and let your
forehead feel wide and relaxed. Let your eyebrows drop gently. There’s no tension round your
eyes - your eyes are still. Let your jaw relax with your teeth slightly apart.
Feel the relief of letting go of any tension.
Now think about your tongue and throat. Let your tongue drop down to the bottom of your mouth
and relax completely. Relax your tongue and throat and your lips…. lips lightly together, no
pressure between them.
Let all the muscles in your face relax so there is no tension in your face, just let it relax more and
more.
Now, instead of thinking about yourself in parts, feel the all over sensation of letting go, think of
quiet and of rest. Check to see if you are still relaxed. Clear your mind of thoughts by
concentrating on this relaxed sensation, as this time is for relaxing not thinking. Stay like this for
a few moments, and listen to your breathing….in….and out…. Let your body become looser
and heavier each time you breathe out.
Now continue for a little longer, and enjoy this time for relaxation.
Coming back - slowly, wiggle your hands a little, and your feet. When you are ready, open your
eyes and sit quietly for a while, stretch, if you want to, or yawn, and slowly start to move again.
The heart is a muscle, and like any other muscle, it needs physical activity to stay healthy.
Regular physical activity will improve the blood flow to the heart muscle and will help your heart
to become stronger and more efficient. The type of exercise that is most beneficial for your heart
is called aerobic or cardiovascular activity. This is any repetitive, rhythmic activity, involving the
large muscle groups in your body such as the legs, shoulders and arms. Examples of aerobic
activity include walking, cycling and dancing. This type of activity increases the body’s demand
for oxygen and adds to the workload of the heart and lungs. This makes the heart and circulation
more efficient, and helps to develop your stamina.
You should aim for 30 minutes a day of moderate activity, such as brisk walking. It is better to
take regular exercise, rather than isolated sessions. With any activity it is important to begin
slowly and to build up gradually.
Other activities are good for improving flexibility and mobility. Keeping your body supple and
flexible will help you keep a full range of movement and stay independent as you get older.
Examples are gardening and yoga.
Strengthen your muscles and bones with strength-type activities. These will help give you good
balance, good posture and bone strength. Examples are climbing the stairs and digging the
garden.
Normal response to exercise:
• faster and stronger heart beat (pulse rate)
• slight breathlessness
• slight sweating
• slight muscle ache approximately 36 hours after exercising
• start to get warm and flushed.
If you have any questions about the above, or would like details of where to obtain relaxation
CDs, please contact the cardiac rehabilitation team on 0161 291 2177.
Physical activity
The convenience of modern life is making us increasingly inactive and this is proving hazardous
to our health. Inactive people have twice the risk of developing coronary heart disease compared
with active people. Inactivity increases the risk of coronary heart disease as much as smoking
does.
Physical activity:
• halves the risk of developing coronary heart disease
• reduces the risk of having a stroke
• lowers blood pressure
• reduces the chance of developing diabetes and helps control diabetes
• helps you to lose weight
• relieves stress
• makes you feel more energetic
• improves your blood cholesterol levels.
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