ELY- At the Northwoods Partners Healthy Aging Expo, held last Thursday at the Grand Ely Lodge, a room packed full of seniors learned from Abby Sirek and Tommy Teigan how to keep their heart healthy.
Sirek and Teigan both work at Ely-Bloomenson Community Hospital, Sirek as a pharmacist and Teigan as director of cardiopulmonary rehabilitation. Sirek also serves on the Northwoods Partners Board of Directors.
Heart disease is the leading killer of men and women. In 2022, heart disease killed 702,880 people, one in every five deaths. Cardiovascular disease, also known as heart disease, isn’t a diagnosis in itself. It’s a broad term for several problems that can affect the heart, including plaque build-up in the arteries, heart attack, stroke, heart failure, irregular heartbeat and heart valve problems.
So, what can you do to keep your ticker healthy? The number one best thing you can do for your body, said Teigan, is if you use tobacco, stop. Nicotine use, in any form, is the top contributor to heart disease. Your risk of heart disease drops after just one day of quitting. After one year tobacco-free your risk drops by 50-percent. There are many resources available to help you quit smoking, reach out to your doctor to make a plan.
Exercise is the next best thing you can do, says Teigan. “This is non-negotiable,” he said. The current guidelines recommend that you should get 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per week, which breaks down to 30 minutes a day, five times per week. Moderate intensity exercise should get your heart rate up and make you breath harder, but you should still be able to hold a conversation comfortably.
Not sure what exercise to do? Include weight-lifting two times per week. The more resistance you put on your muscles and bones, the stronger they will become, reducing your risk of osteoporosis and falls. Otherwise, Teigan says, the best exercise is one you enjoy doing. A manicured routine looks good on paper but can be hard to adhere to. It’s better to do something you’re naturally propelled to do, whether it be pickleball with friends, swimming in the lake, or taking your dog for a walk. Having accountability in the form of a friend or exercise class helps, so does scheduling a specific time to exercise so you don’t keep putting it off.
Teigan also recommended making slow and steady changes to your diet, eating whole foods that promote feelings of fullness, decreasing portion sizes, limiting snacking, and decreasing or eliminating sweetened drinks and alcohol. He said to avoid processed foods and sugar substitutes because they can end up making you even more hungry.
Sirek said managing your blood sugar, for both diabetics and non-diabetics, can be very important. Foods with lots of simple carbohydrates, like white bread and sugar, can make your blood sugar spike. Getting light exercise, like a 5-10-minute walk after meals, can make a big difference to help your body regulate blood sugar.
Lastly, keep your stress under control. Stress can be physical, like recovering from surgery, illness, or a health episode or it can be emotional, like coping with a loved one’s death, workplace stress or bad news. Basic self-care like eating healthy, getting enough exercise, and adequate sleep can make a big difference. Social supports like meeting up with friends, meditation, and therapy can be helpful as well.

Sirek also went over the large variety of medications available to treat heart disease. If you’re on medications, one helpful free service Ely-Bloomenson Pharmacy provides for their patients is a comprehensive medication review that helps you understand how your medications work and how they help you and how you can take them appropriately and safely. Talk to your pharmacist for more information.
The expo highlighted many other services available to seniors. Northwoods Partners has over 90 volunteers who help local seniors with friendly visits, long-distance transportation to appointments, local transportation for small errands, grocery delivery, exercise buddies, group exercise programs, caregiver support, a memory care program, and an aging mastery program. Northwoods Partners can also help connect you to other support services.
Northwoods Partners offered thanks to sponsors of the event, including Ely-Bloomenson Community Hospital, Ely-Bloomenson Community Pharmacy, Essential Health and Highland Bank. 

To reach out for services or to volunteer, contact Northwoods Partners at 218-365-8019, email info@northwoodspartners.org or visit their website, www.northwoodspartners.org. Don’t miss their upcoming Annual Fundraiser Dinner: Celebrating the Magic of Movies on Thursday, June 26 at 5 p.m. at the Miner’s Dry House. Call 218-365-8019 to purchase your ticket.