Union-Bulletin

It’s February and in honor of Heart Health Month check out some of these interesting (and funny) facts about the human heart.

• The average adult heart beats 72 times a minute; 100,000 times a day; 3,600,000 times a year; and 2.5 billion times during a lifetime.
• A woman’s heart typically beats faster than a man’s. The heart of an average man beats approximately 70 times a minute, whereas the average woman has a heart rate of 78 beats per minute.
• A kitchen faucet would need to be turned on all the way for at least 45 years to equal the amount of blood pumped by the heart in an average lifetime.
• The fetal heart rate is approximately twice as fast as an adult’s, at about 150 beats per minute. By the time a fetus is 12 weeks old, its heart pumps an amazing 60 pints of blood a day.
• The heart does the most physical work of any muscle during a lifetime. The power output of the heart ranges from 1 to 5 watts. While the quadriceps can produce 100 watts for a few minutes, an output of one watt for 80 years is equal to 2.5 gigajoules.
• In 1929, German surgeon Werner Forssmann examined the inside of his own heart by threading a catheter into his arm vein and pushing it 20 inches and into his heart, inventing cardiac catheterization, a now common procedure.
• And a funny one:
• French physician Rene Laennec invented the stethoscope when he felt it was inappropriate to place his ear on his buxom female patients’ chests.

The heart is an amazing machine and it deserves some serious care in order to function at its top performance level.

During a health assessment with your doctor or trainer you may be asked questions that help them determine your number of cardiovascular disease risk factors. It’s important you answer these questions honestly.

Questions might include family history of heart disease, the age of onset of a heart attack for each of your parents, whether or not you smoke and how often you get regular exercise.

Blood pressure and cholesterol numbers will also work into the equation of total heart health.

So why wait? Your heart works hard for you every day. It’s time to return the favor and make that appointment, start walking, or clean up your nutrition. Your life truly depends on it.

Leslie Snyder is group exercise director at the Walla Walla YMCA. She holds national certification with the American Council on Exercise as a health coach, personal trainer and group fitness instructor. She can be reached at lsnyder@wwymca.org.