State of Health Barometer

Do you want to know how fit you are? Take your pulse rate.

The pulse is a good barometer of the state of your health. Great athletes usually have pulses down into the 40's and 30's. As a rule the faster your pulse, the less healthy you are.

The heart has more chances of getting rest in-between when you have a lower pulse rate. Your overall fitness is measured by how fast your pulse rate goes down to its normal rate after your regular brisk walking.

To achieve real fitness, treat yourself to brisk walking, cycling, swimming, and other sustained exercises. When walking, the pace must be brisk and continued for a minimum of an hour daily, although some authorities would put a minimum of half an hour as acceptable.

A daily jogging regimen (at least a kilometer or two daily) will eventually lower the pulse rate at rest by ten points or more. This lowered pulse rate can save 10,000 extra heartbeats a day (as if the heart had rested two to three hours daily). The good news is that brisk walking can also lower your blood pressure.

Here's a suggestion. You can combine yoga exercise and lifting weights (bodybuilding for you) with your other exercise regimen. For those over forty, it is a good idea to see your doctor before starting an exercise routine.

Another Test You Can Make. Most of us are smug enough to insist that we are clean inside. Let's see if you can pass this test:

Do not take food for 24 to 36 hours. Drink ONLY pure water. If your tongue fails to become furry white (having a fur-like coating), it's a good indication that you're clean inside. But your tongue will probably become coated and your breath will become strong, thus indicating that you carry a toxic load of foul materials.