5 Tips for Keeping a Healthy Heart

As you grow older, keeping a healthy heart becomes more pressing and essential for plenty of reasons. For one, it’s because a healthy cardiovascular system equates to an overall healthy body. It is a vital organ that has been keeping you alive since you were born. Further, thousands of Americans aged 45 and above die each year due to heart disease. In fact, one in every four deaths in America is because of a specific cardiovascular problem. This includes:

• Coronary artery disease
• Cardiomyopathy
• Heart attacks
• A disease of the heart valves

So, do yourself and your family a favor and not join this statistic by keeping your heart in its top shape. Here five smart tips on how to do just that!

1. Don’t Skip Your Check-Ups

Once you turn 45 to 50, it’s vital to have a regular appointment with your heart doctor. Getting your heart checked gives you a head start on preventive and treatment plans early on. Remember, prevention is always better than cure, and you can only do that through early diagnosis.

If you don’t know where to start, you can ask for a patient care navigator’s help. They will point you to the right doctor and guide you throughout the whole heart check-up process.

2. Eat Heart-Healthy Foods

The kind of food you eat regularly says a lot about your heart’s health. This is because foods influence plenty of substances in the body that can harm the heart if their level becomes too high (e.g., triglycerides, cholesterol). So, make sure to maintain a good diet by eating heart-healthy foods, such as:

• Green, leafy vegetables
• Whole grains (because they’re rich in fiber)
• Fruits, particularly berries, avocado, and cantaloupes
• Fatty fish like tuna and mackerel
• Walnuts, beans, and legumes

3. Exercise

Regular physical activity helps your body lose excess fats and maintain a healthy weight. Thus, reducing your risk of becoming obese and having heart disease. You don’t have to work out vigorously in gyms and fitness centers. A moderate aerobic activity (e.g., walking, jogging, biking) every day for 20 to 30 minutes will do.

4. Quit Smoking and Drinking Alcohol

Smoking not only deteriorates the lungs but also weakens the heart. Studies showed that when you inhale cigarette smoke, its harmful chemicals will mix with your blood and damage the blood vessels in your heart.

At the same time, excessive alcohol drinking will cause your heart rate and blood pressure to spike up. Thus, leading to hypertension and weakened heart muscles.

Seek help from your patient care navigator or doctor when quitting these kinds of vices. They can help you come up with a better and highly effective plan.

5. Manage Stress

Experiencing chronic stress is also a significant risk factor for developing heart disease. So, keep your heart healthy by managing stress. You can do healthy activities, like:

• Yoga and other meditation exercises
• Staying connected with loved ones.
• Scheduling a "me" time during the weekends.
• Reducing your workload when it becomes overwhelming
• Seeking professional help for mental troubles.

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