Why Green Fig Sponsors the British Heart Foundation
We raise money to increase awareness and prevention of heart disease
Women and Heart Disease
Heart disease kills three times more women than breast cancer. The good news is you can protect yourself, and learn to recognize the symptoms. Our vision is of a world where people do not die prematurely of heart disease. But we need your help.
Visit the British Heart Foundation's website >
My Brothers Story - Carl
"Dad, Son, Grandchild, Uncle, Wazzz, Kojack, The Stig ) - you're still on our minds and always".
My brother Carl died suddenly at 41 years of age. He was a father to three boys with another on the way. He did a strenuous job working as a scaffolder during the day, enjoyed life and was always laughing. He could have been leaner, he could have been fitter, he could have eaten healthier, well couldn’t we all. Over time he had shrugged off feeling tired, dizzy spells and other vague symptoms and only went to the doctors when a gym membership check found he had high blood pressure. It was too late; he died from Left Ventricular Hypertrophy unexpectedly at 2o’clock on a Friday morning before he could attend his hospital appointment for a heart scan and before he could see the birth of his fourth son.
My dad has been kept alive for the last 15 years by a pacemaker, the doctors got to his heart in time.
Could it have been different and could what has happened to Carl make a difference for other families?
While I raise funds I want to raise
AWARENESS. Heart disease can leave children parentless, parents childless and families grief stricken with little or no warning. It can be a silent killer.
Keeping fit, eating well and getting symptoms like dizziness checked out are all so important.
I like to run. I have read that for every hour of exercise you do your heart gains two giving longevity to your heart. The exercise should keep our blood pressure down and our hearts healthy and if you have family history of the disease you need all the help you can get.
OTHER FACTS YOU MIGHT FIND INTERESTING:
Longevity: Exercise helps you to live longer, but how important is intensity?
Regular exercise extends life, and the effect is so powerful that even people who wait until they are middle-aged to begin exercising gain extra days on earth. Overall, starting exercise in one's middle years lowers the risk of death by 23 per cent over the next two decades or so.
Excellent - or even good - athletic ability is not necessary to get the extra time. In fact, research tells us that college nerds who take up exercise in mid-life live longer than topflight collegiate athletes who later become sofa spuds. When it comes to exercise and longevity, persistence wins out over innate ability.
How much extra time can exercise buy? In the well-known Harvard Alumni Study, which examined mortality rates over a 22- to 26-year period in more than 17,000 men who had attended Harvard University, life expectancy was about two years longer for those who expended 2,000 calories per week during exercise, compared to individuals who were sedentary. Since 2,000 weekly calories can be consumed during just 15 miles of jogging, it's clear that a fairly modest investment in exercise can bring a large return.
Within limits, exercise's protective effects tend to expand as you increase your quantity of exercise. Jogging just 10 miles per week improves your chances of living longer rather dramatically, compared to completing no exercise at all. Covering 25 to 30 miles each week lowers your risk of dying even more. Beyond 30 miles, though, there's little evidence that more miles limit the grim reaper's activities any further.
FOR CARL
Create Awareness. Realise Longevity.
"Dad, Son, Grandchild, Uncle, Wazzz, Kojack, The Stig ) - you're still on our minds and always".
My brother Carl died suddenly at 41 years of age. He was a father to three boys with another on the way. He did a strenuous job working as a scaffolder during the day, enjoyed life and was always laughing. He could have been leaner, he could have been fitter, he could have eaten healthier, well couldn’t we all. Over time he had shrugged off feeling tired, dizzy spells and other vague symptoms and only went to the doctors when a gym membership check found he had high blood pressure. It was too late; he died from Left Ventricular Hypertrophy unexpectedly at 2o’clock on a Friday morning before he could attend his hospital appointment for a heart scan and before he could see the birth of his fourth son.
My dad has been kept alive for the last 15 years by a pacemaker, the doctors got to his heart in time.
Could it have been different and could what has happened to Carl make a difference for other families?
While I raise funds I want to raise
AWARENESS. Heart disease can leave children parentless, parents childless and families grief stricken with little or no warning. It can be a silent killer.
Keeping fit, eating well and getting symptoms like dizziness checked out are all so important.
I like to run. I have read that for every hour of exercise you do your heart gains two giving longevity to your heart. The exercise should keep our blood pressure down and our hearts healthy and if you have family history of the disease you need all the help you can get.
OTHER FACTS YOU MIGHT FIND INTERESTING:
Longevity: Exercise helps you to live longer, but how important is intensity?
Regular exercise extends life, and the effect is so powerful that even people who wait until they are middle-aged to begin exercising gain extra days on earth. Overall, starting exercise in one's middle years lowers the risk of death by 23 per cent over the next two decades or so.
Excellent - or even good - athletic ability is not necessary to get the extra time. In fact, research tells us that college nerds who take up exercise in mid-life live longer than topflight collegiate athletes who later become sofa spuds. When it comes to exercise and longevity, persistence wins out over innate ability.
How much extra time can exercise buy? In the well-known Harvard Alumni Study, which examined mortality rates over a 22- to 26-year period in more than 17,000 men who had attended Harvard University, life expectancy was about two years longer for those who expended 2,000 calories per week during exercise, compared to individuals who were sedentary. Since 2,000 weekly calories can be consumed during just 15 miles of jogging, it's clear that a fairly modest investment in exercise can bring a large return.
Within limits, exercise's protective effects tend to expand as you increase your quantity of exercise. Jogging just 10 miles per week improves your chances of living longer rather dramatically, compared to completing no exercise at all. Covering 25 to 30 miles each week lowers your risk of dying even more. Beyond 30 miles, though, there's little evidence that more miles limit the grim reaper's activities any further.
FOR CARL
Create Awareness. Realise Longevity.