When it comes to your heart health, just a few small changes in your habits can make a huge difference! These changes can not only help you live a longer life, but will allow you to spend more of your life healthy with a low risk of cardiovascular diseases! The following are 4 great tips for a healthy heart. If you are not able to follow all the tips on this list, even 1 or 2 changes can be incredibly beneficial!
1. Implement and Maintain an Exercise Program
One of the top tips for a healthy heart is to get moving! If you spend a significant amount of time sitting, whether it is at work or at home, you should attempt to do any activity that gets you moving around and breaking a sweat. Your ultimate goal should be 5 days a week of moderate exercise, with 30 minutes of activity on each of those days. If you are currently not getting any exercise, this can be detrimental to your heart so break up any long periods of sitting with a brief walk or any other type of physical activity.
2. Aim for a Full Night of Sleep
A full night of sleep is not only great to let your brain rest, but it is helpful for your heart health as well! While everyone may have different opinions on what is considered a full night of sleep, it is recommended that you sleep at least 7 hours per night. Studies have shown that adults who have slept 7 hours had less calcium in their arteries than others who slept only 5 hours. Since calcium in the arteries is an early sign of heart disease, you can see how important it is to get some shut eye!
3. Get Your Blood Pressure Checked Regularly
One of the other important tips for a healthy heart is to have your blood pressure checked regularly. If you are 18 to 39, you should have your blood pressure checked every 3 to 5 years while those 40 and older should have it checked every year. This is because a high blood pressure can damage your artery walls and create scar tissue, which makes it more difficult for blood and oxygen to flow to and from your heart. Exercise and healthy eating habits can help with lowering blood pressure, as well as medication prescribed by your doctor.
4. Reduce the Saturated Fats in Your Diet
A great way to help your heart’s arteries is by reducing the amount of saturated fats in your diet. These are found primarily in meat and dairy products, so aim for leaner cuts of meat and low fat dairy options such as skim milk. You should also try to eliminate trans fats from your diet which are found in some processed foods. These increase your LDL cholesterol levels which can eventually lead to heart disease.
We hope that these tips on how to maintain a healthy heart have been beneficial to your lifestyle and we look forward to sharing more healthcare tips with you! If you want to learn about how Mac’s Pharmacy can help you with your healthcare needs, contact us today! We look forward to hearing from you!
