6 TIPS ON HOW TO KEEP YOUR HEART HEALTHY - MUST KNOW LIFESTYLE TIPS FOR A LONG AND STRONG LIFE
“Time and health are two precious assets that we don’t recognize and appreciate until they have been depleted.” – Denis Waitley
A healthy heart isn’t just important for overall wellness—it’s essential to your overall health and happiness. Heart disease often leads to other ailments like high blood pressure, diabetes, and stroke—all of which can impede your quality of life as well as shorten it significantly. If you take these six simple tips to heart (pun intended), you’ll be on the right track toward living an entirely heart-healthy life!
1) Get at least 30 minutes of exercise every day
Exercise is one of your best tools for preventing heart disease and to keep your heart healthy. When you exercise, your body releases natural endorphins—which are hormones that make you feel good. Exercise also makes it easier to breathe and lowers blood pressure, which can help improve your mood. And if you stick with it, exercise can even lead to weight loss and lower cholesterol levels.
Aim to do at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise on most days; some ideas include jogging, walking briskly or dancing. You could also try interval training, where you alternate between short bursts of intense activity and brief periods of rest. The more active you are throughout your day, the better!
When you exercise, you’re helping your heart. Moderate-intensity exercise can lower your blood pressure and heart rate, which can lower your risk of developing high blood pressure or heart disease in later life. Exercise also helps keep cholesterol levels low, reduces stress and improves your overall mood and outlook.
Finally, regular physical activity can help you maintain a healthy weight and avoid obesity—which is linked to an increased risk of developing coronary artery disease. For optimal health benefits, aim to do at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise on most days—and try to include some intense bouts of physical activity in there too! You could go for a brisk walk every day after work or take up running if it’s something you want to try. Know more about different kinds of exercises.
2) Eat healthy meals
Eating meals that are rich in whole grains, fruits and vegetables is important to keep your heart healthy. A Mediterranean diet—one high in fiber, fat-free dairy products, healthy monounsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids—has been shown to help prevent cardiovascular disease and stroke.
Incorporating moderate amounts of fish into your diet can also keep your heart healthy by promoting better blood vessel function. If you already have cardiovascular disease or diabetes, talk with your doctor about appropriate dietary modifications for you.
Eating healthy meals is vital, but it’s also important to reduce your stress levels. Chronic stress can cause high blood pressure and lead to plaque buildup in your arteries, increasing your risk of heart disease.
You may not be able to control every stressful situation in your life, but you can take steps like reducing alcohol and caffeine intake, engaging in relaxing activities that don’t involve electronics (like yoga or meditation) and spending time with people who make you feel happy instead of stressed.
Getting an adequate amount of sleep every night will also help minimize feelings of anxiety and improve overall heart health. To know more about the technique of Intermittent Fasting read our article : Intermittent Fasting by Medicritics.
3) Sleep
Sleep is one of our most precious resources to keep your heart healthy, but it’s often overlooked. When you don’t get enough sleep, your immune system suffers, increasing your risk of disease and illness. Even mild sleep deprivation can reduce your mental performance by more than 20 percent and slow down your reaction time.
To keep your heart healthy and fit, it’s important to prioritize sleep. After all, even if you eat clean foods and exercise regularly, getting six hours of shuteye can reduce health risks like diabetes by 30 percent. If you struggle with insomnia or other issues related to sleeping well, try these tips
4) Use CBD oil to improve blood flow
Cannabidiol (CBD) is a non-intoxicating compound found in hemp, marijuana and other plants. Unlike THC, CBD doesn’t directly affect your central nervous system—instead, it interacts with receptors on your cells to improve your cardiovascular health. Studies show that CBD can help improve heart rate variability, which suggests it could play an important role in protecting against heart arrhythmias.
Additionally, CBD is known to be anti-inflammatory and anti-anxiety—which means it helps offset some of marijuana’s negative effects. You can also purchase pure cannabidiol as an oil or capsule supplement; however, note that there isn’t enough evidence to support claims about its benefits for heart health.
5) Don’t smoke or drink too much alcohol
This might seem like common sense, but you’d be surprised how many people don’t follow it. If you want to keep your heart healthy and in tip-top shape, avoid smoking and drinking too much alcohol. And if you do drink alcohol, stick to 1-2 drinks per day for women and 2-3 drinks per day for men (depending on your height and weight). Even low levels of alcohol consumption have been linked to increased risk of heart disease!
It doesn’t take much to see higher rates of mortality among smokers. Even those who smoke one or two cigarettes per day have up to twice as many deaths from coronary heart disease compared with non-smokers. Say NO to smoking and alcohol if you want to keep your heart healthy and strong.
6) Think Positive
Having a positive outlook on life can improve your overall health, according to Dr. Robert A. Emmons, author of The Little Book of Gratitude. With positivity in mind, you’ll be more likely to make wise lifestyle choices that will help reduce your risk of heart disease and other ailments like diabetes or cancer.
Moreover, positive thinking doesn’t just affect your mental health but also has an impact on your physical well-being—in one study cited by Healthline, happier individuals reported better overall health compared to their less cheerful counterparts. So no matter what you’re going through right now, remember there is light at the end of any dark tunnel.
