Your heart is the pump that provides nutrients and oxygen to all the tissues in your body.
That is why maintaining your heart health is essential for living a healthy life. Heart disease
is the leading cause of death worldwide, and it’s mostly preventable by bringing about
changes in your lifestyle and managing the risk factors. Such a change becomes an
important part of living with heart disease or trying to prevent it. You can also improve your
heart’s health with a series of small changes. Here are seven ways you can help keep your
ticker ticking.
1) Get moving:
Your heart is a muscle, and just as it is with any muscle, exercise is needed to strengthen it.
If you don’t exercise at all, you can start with a brief walk. If you do, it’s the best way to add
more exercise to your day. It all starts with determining your target heart rate and then
finding an activity you enjoy and can stick with for a longer time.
2) Eat lots of fruits and vegetables:
Everybody knows, that fruits and vegetables are good for everything from your brain to your
bowels. They are packed with nutrients and are low in calories which help you maintain
proper weight and reduce inflammation. Always remember, the fresher and more colourful
your choices, the better.
3) Lose weight:
Losing weight is so much more than just exercise and diet. It’s the journey of finding what
you like and what actually works for you. And once you’re on that path, it works wonders
for your heart health. Basically, when you maintain a moderate weight, you stop putting
excessive demands on your heart. It’s quite literally taking the weight off your heart.
4) Choose heart-healthy fats:
These are mostly unsaturated fats that are healthy and lower the inflammation in your
body. For example, heart-healthy fats include low-fat mayonnaise, vegetable oil and
minimal oil-based salad dressings. Food options like salmon and guacamole are also loaded
with healthy fats that are good for the heart and for lowering your cholesterol.
5) Quit smoking:
It may be tough to quit smoking, but it’s crucial to do so as it’s linked to heart diseases.
Smoking can have serious effects on your heart. So, if you do smoke, now is a great time to
stop. The earlier the better.
6) Give yourself a lift:
Engaging in activities such as lifting a two-pound weight or using resistance bands can help
you to build strong muscles. That, in turn, powers your metabolism which helps in
maintaining a moderate weight and blood pressure. Slow and deep breathing for a few
minutes a day also helps in lowering blood pressure.
7) Don’t stress:
Realistically, there is no way to avoid stress, and you probably will have to deal with
stressful events from time to time. However, stress is known to trigger a lot of biochemical
responses which also include a faster heart rate and a rise in blood pressure. The best way
to avoid this is to be calm and prepare yourself to handle stressful events in a way you’re
able to cope with them.
