Being home since this pandemic allowed me to catch up and refresh my knowledge about many of the subjects I studied in Massage Therapy school. One of my favorite subjects is learning about the circulatory system. I am still in awe, as I read and watched videos of how this fist sized organ is responsible for the blood to flow in the right direction, for the beat to contract on time and to deliver fresh oxygen and nutrients throughout the body. The heart is evidence that we are alive. Let me summarize how it works and in doing so, would remind me not to take it heart for granted. It sustains life!
De-oxeganated blood goes into the Right Atrium coming directly from the Superior Vena Cava and the Inferior Vena Cava. From the Right atrium, blood gets dumped into the Right Ventricle via the Tricuspid Valve, then this blood travels via the Pulmonary Valve (Semi lunar valve or Pulmonary trunk) and into the Pulmonary right and left Arteries then goes into the Lungs for fresh air. The blood gets Oxegnated in the Lungs then it’s carried into the Pulmonary veins into the Left Atrium then to the Left Ventricle via the Bicuspid valve then travels to the Aortic valve into the Arctic Arch. Then you have the natural pacemakers- Sino Atrial node that automatically and spontaneously transmits electrical impulses in the Right Atrium and a slight delay occurs before the Atrioventricular node picks up the impulse and contracts in the ventricles, sending the electrical signals to the Bundle of HIS down to the Purkenji fibers.
WOW! It’s really fascinating. It beats 100,000 times per day and the whole system of blood, veins, capillaries and so forth is around 60,000 (a child) and 100,000 (adult) miles long. WHAT???😲 That’s a lot of miles just inside our bodies.
Because we have been given this amazing heart- the organ that pumps life in us, we need to take good care of it by exercising ❤️️the muscle. 150 minutes a week of moderate activity is recommended to help maintain a healthy heart. Of course, we can always do more because we need to be moving our bodies as much as we can. Sitting down for long periods of time changes our bodies and negatively impacts our health. I find ways to add a little more movement when I can throughout the day cause everything adds up and helps maintain good blood flow and circulation. Some of the things I do is take the stairs instead of the elevator, walking (here in NYC you can walk from one side of Manhattan to the other side, uptown, downtown – no problem) 😁! I’ve quit smoking for 10 years now so that’s good, and I’m more conscious of what I eat, but I don’t stress and restrict myself about food. It’s there for nourishment and enjoyment so I will eat, especially dark chocolate. 😋 And of course, daily meditation, managing stress and staying in the flow helps keep the heart functioning properly.
Since March, I’ve been home and though I don’t have an elevator in the house, I do take my walks in the park and do my daily work outs 7 days a week. I’m sitting down a lot and I do feel change, more achy in my body. I get up and do stretches and movements to keep the blood moving. So as I reflect on how this amazing organ is the reason I’m breathing and alive today, I am grateful when I wake up that I get to do the things I want to do and that I have the privilege to move and work out to get stronger and to maintain my healthy heart.
Namaste
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