The key to a healthy you is having a healthy heart. Why’s it so? It’s because your heart plays a pivotal role in keeping your body going by pumping blood delivering oxygen and making sure that nutrients reach every part of your body. If the heart fails to supply blood to the body’s organs, they die. This makes the heart an organ that’s vital to human life. You can keep your heart healthy by making healthy habits a part of your daily lifestyle.
It’s estimated that the number of deaths caused by heart diseases is likely to rise to as much as 24 million people worldwide annually by 2030 (source). The reasons behind this are an unhealthy lifestyle, stress, lack of exercise, nutrition that isn’t adequate, and a general lack of awareness. Let’s now look into how you can have a healthy heart.
Exercise regularly
You should have at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise every week as recommended by the American Heart Association (AHA). If fitting that into your schedule is difficult, the AHA also suggests 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity a week. You may also combine moderate and intense exercises. To put things in a nutshell, you exercise intensely for less duration of time.
Do bear in mind that AHA recommends you spread the exercises out through the entire week and avoid packing everything into a span of only one or two days. Holly S. Andersen, MD, an attending cardiologist, Weill Cornell Medical Center observes, “physical activity is the fountain of youth. It makes your cardiovascular system more efficient.” If it’s not possible to accommodate a workout session every single day, you should get at least some exercise like walking to get your heart rate up.
Cut down stress
As it causes the heart to overexert itself, stress is especially damaging to your heart. To counter stress, try avoiding high-stress situations, take out the time to relax a bit every day, and also avoid ending up being overworked. We strongly recommend that you go on vacations at regular intervals as they are found to soothe your heart by reducing stress, ensuring sound sleep, and raising productivity. If it’s possible, do go on vacations of at least five days every year.
Regular vacations are important as they are good for your mental health. You should take care of your mental health just as you look after your body by exercising regularly and eating healthy. You need to realize that your mental health is vital to maintaining your overall good health and a fatigued mind affects your performance and overall life.
Consult your doctor regularly
An annual check-up is a must. It helps your doctor check and see if you are showing any symptoms that indicate heart disease like high blood pressure. You should know that keeping an eye on your blood pressure is highly important. Even if you aren’t suffering from high blood pressure, uncontrolled blood pressure too may trigger heart diseases as pointed out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Having your doctor check your blood pressure regularly makes sure that steps are taken to keep it under control every time it shows signs of creeping up.
Sleep well
It’s recommended that an adult sleep for seven to nine hours. Getting good sleep is absolutely crucial to being healthy as it allows you to relax, revitalize your brain, and recharge your batteries by boosting energy. We suggest home remedies like:
- Warm milk (Low fat),
- Aromatherapy,
- Chamomile tea, etc.
You should go and see a physician immediately if you don’t get enough sleep and the home remedies don’t give the desired results.
Don’t skip your medicines
It’s vital that you take your medicines regularly as prescribed by your doctor. Skipping your medicines, especially those that are meant for high blood pressure and cholesterol can cause serious health complications. You should realize that there are good reasons why your doctor has prescribed a certain dosage. Tinkering with it will cause severe damage to your health.
Stop smoking
Cigarettes contain harsh chemicals, tar, and nicotine that are absolute poison for your health. They are truly dangerous. We understand, quitting smoking is easier said than done. But then, there are good reasons why awareness campaigns about the harms of smoking are so common these days. Not only your lungs, but smoking also weakens your overall health. Therefore, try and quit it as soon as you can.
Drink only occasionally
It’s often said that red wine reduces the chances of having heart disease. However, opinion over the benefits of red wine for your heart is divided. While some research has indeed suggested that taking a glass of red wine lowers the risk of suffering from heart ailments, there’s no conclusive evidence that proves red wine improves heart health. In fact, in general, alcohol is a toxin that’s harmful to your heart. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends only one drink a day for women and not more than two for men.
Conclusion
Your heart is vital to your overall health. You should therefore make it a point to take good care of your heart. Follow the 7 ways to keep your heart healthy that we have suggested so you live hale and hearty. Good luck!