Overview:
Lifestyle choices you can modify for a healthy heart include eating a nutritious diet, getting regular physical exercise and not smoking.
Maintaining a healthy heart is a lifelong undertaking that relies on factors both in and out of your control. Things you can’t influence include your age, genetics, gender and race.
While these things greatly impact your heart health, there are things in your control that play an important role in reducing your chances of heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States.
Lifestyle choices you can modify for a healthy heart include eating a nutritious diet, getting regular physical exercise and not smoking. Changing your lifestyle isn’t easy, but research shows that even small changes can make a big difference to your heart.
Getting physical
The American Heart Association recommends adults get 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity each week along with two days of muscle strengthening, like lifting weights. During moderate exercise, you should be able to talk but not sing; during vigorous, you can only say a few words at a time.
This much exercise may seem daunting, especially if you don’t enjoy working out or are pretty sedentary. The good news is that small chunks of exercise can strengthen your heart. A 2020 study in the American Heart Association journal Circulation found that just 12 minutes of riding a stationary bike lowered blood markers of inflammation (which can damage your heart) and increased molecules that protect the heart from heart disease.
Maintaining blood pressure
Almost half of all U.S. adults have one of the most common, and treatable, risk factors for heart disease: high blood pressure. Frequently having blood pressure measurements of 130/80 mm Hg or higher (also called hypertension) can narrow your arteries, reducing blood flow to the heart. It can also make it harder for your heart to work, which can weaken it over time.
One way to combat high blood pressure is by following the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, or DASH, plan. DASH encourages a diet full of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans and nuts. It also includes fish, poultry and low-fat dairy products. Things to avoid are saturated fats and food and drinks with added sugars. It’s also wise to limit sodium intake to 1,500 mg or less (just over half a teaspoon) a day.
If lifestyle changes aren’t enough, there are medications that can lower blood pressure. These work by relaxing or expanding blood vessels, removing sodium from the body and slowing your heartbeat. Talk to your doctor to find out whether these may be right for you.
Lowering cholesterol
Having high cholesterol (200 mg/dL or higher) can cause plaque to build up in your arteries, which can slow blood flow to the heart. If the plaque becomes hardened, it can form a clot, which can lead to a heart attack. If your cholesterol is high, lifestyle changes like good nutrition, physical exercise, not smoking, limiting alcohol intake and losing weight can help. Medication may also be required to help lower cholesterol levels.
Understand your risk
Knowing your risk for heart disease is good for your heart. Start by getting your blood pressure taken when you visit the doctor and using a blood pressure monitor at home if it’s frequently high.
The American Heart Association has an online calculator called PREVENT that lets you input health information to calculate your 10-year and 30-year risk of cardiovascular disease. Knowing your chances can encourage a healthy lifestyle and help you talk to your doctor to discuss your risk and treatment options.
Other important measures
- If you smoke, quit. Smoking, one of the major risk factors of heart disease, can raise blood pressure, damage blood vessels and decrease the flow of oxygen in your blood.
- Maintain healthy blood sugar levels. Heart disease is the number one cause of death in people with diabetes.
- Get some sleep. Sleeping at least seven hours a night may lower blood pressure, improve blood glucose levels and reduce weight gain.
Having a strong heart is one of the most important things you can do to increase your longevity. Taking simple steps like getting wellness checks, eating nutritious foods and getting regular exercise can go a long way to ensuring your heart stays strong and healthy.
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