February is American Heart Association Month, which makes it the perfect time to pay more attention to your heart. Many people feel that they have to throw money into their health in order to receive results. However, this isn’t the case at all. In fact, there are a few everyday things you can do that can help with your heart and overall health. Some will even save you money in the long run. So, sit tight and absorb these ten tips because they might save your life one day or give you a better quality of life as you enter your golden years. Since it is the month to concentrate on heart health, you might also want to work on spreading the word, so others can improve on their heart health too.
1. Walk
One of the best things you can do for your heart is to go for a walk every day. It doesn’t matter when you go or what kind of path that you take, just get up and move. Sometimes, walking can be hard for people, but if you can get up and moving for at least ten minutes then your heart is going to benefit from it greatly. Of course, if you can spend longer out walking, then go for it. It’s not only great for your heart but can really help reduce stress and other problems you might be facing. Walking a little after a larger meal can even aid with digestion. So, if you can find a few minutes in your schedule, try walking instead of browsing on your phone or watching TV.
2. Floss
Believe it or not, but one of the best things you can do for your heart is to work on your dental hygiene. It has recently been discovered that gingivitis and other dental problems can be linked to problems with the heart. Plaque build up, in itself, can work to clog arteries which can lead to a heart attack or other problems. So, you might want to consider pulling out the floss once a day to keep your heart a little healthier. If you don’t like flossing, then a water pick is a great option to help you out. Of course, you should also make sure to see your dentist, so you can make sure everything is fine.
3. Ditch Beverages
One of the biggest problems many people have is drinking sugary drinks. These beverages are empty calories that really work against you in more ways than one. The calories that you take in from high calorie beverages are taking the place of the calories you need to indulge in healthy foods. This often means people take in too many calories in one day, which along with the sugar content leads to weight gain. This extra gain brings even more strain to the heart. Not to mention, the chemicals found in some drinks can have some major adverse effects on your heart. The only drink you really need is water, which can help you detox your body and stay hydrated. This will ensure that you feel great and your heart will be able to function properly.
4. Change Your Diet
You probably guessed, one of the best things you can do for your heart is to change your diet. Processed food is one of the worst culprits when it comes to causing people to gain weight. You should also cut back on frying your foods or going out to eat often. There’s a
long list of foods that aren’t great for your heart too, so make sure to avoid them when you can. When it comes to staying healthy, the best thing you can do is work on eating fresh fruits and vegetables whenever you can. These options will give you the nutrients you need to lead the healthiest possible life. Another great option is healthy fats and lean meats. Unfortunately, this will mean cutting back on red meat for those that love having hamburgers on a weekly basis. Foods that are orange, contain lots of beta carotene which is great for the heart. Dairy can also help out as it is linked to lowering cholesterol.
5. Get Enough Sleep
This might be one of the hardest things for some people to do. Getting enough sleep is very important in life, but often people sacrifice their sleep for entertainment purposes or for work. It is important that you try to get at least 7 hours of sleep every single day, but you should shoot for a full 8 whenever possible. This will not only improve your mental health but will allow your heart to pump more efficiently. It is hard to stress just how much rest can do for the body, so do yourself a favor and turn the TV off one show sooner, so you can get the sleep that your heart deserves.
6. Reduce Stress
It might seem impossible at times, but it is incredibly important that you don’t let stress build up for too long. It is natural to have stress, but this actually works against our bodies and puts a strain on the heart. Stress can bring on anxiety which raises heart rate and does the body lots of harm. Luckily, there’s many ways to manage stress which can help with your heart too. For starters, you might want to take up a sport or an exercise like yoga. This will work your body out, which will help improve the way your heart functions. You may also just want to choose a hobby that helps relieve your mind of stress. Of course, if taking action against stress doesn’t work then it might be time to take matters further. If your job is the main culprit, then consider switching jobs or even careers. If you’re having trouble with relationships or personal issues, then you might want to bring in a psychiatrist to help out.
7. Ditch Bad Habits
That New Year’s resolution you made a few weeks ago, might actually be in the best interest of your heart. So many of our bad habits actually lead to poor heart health. For instance, smoking or vaping and drinking alcohol can do their own unique number on your heart. Fast food is another huge culprit when it comes to reducing the health of your heart. If you find yourself sitting too much, then you’re also not helping your heart out at all. Luckily, you can work to combat the damage you have already done, so you can lead a healthier lifestyle. All you have to do is stick to your goals and ditch the bad habits that you have. Before you know it, you’ll begin to feel a lot better than you ever expected.
8. Singing
You may not have guessed that singing can be a great way to improve your heart health. Recently, a study was released saying that you should enjoy belting out those notes in the shower because its doing your heart a world of good. Singing doesn’t just work out the diaphragm, but it also brings you joy and reduces stress. Of course, if you’re a private person and you don’t like singing in public then head home and sing there when you can. There are even special devices that allow you to sing anywhere without hearing a note that you make. This can be great for apartment dwellers too that have to deal with thin walls. If you don’t mind singing in public then do it as much as you like. You might even consider joining a choir to ensure you practice this heart healthy activity often.
9. Be Social
If you have been feeling a little lonely lately then you might want to reach out to others as much as you can. Loneliness can be one of the worst things for your heart. This is largely because loneliness can cause depression and other mental disorders which can really do a number on the body. One of the best things you can do to combat this is to form strong connections with family and a select few friends. This will give your social activities a more meaningful nature to ensure that you feel less lonely even when you’re not socializing. Of course, if you’re an introvert, this doesn’t mean you have to socialize to the point of exhaustion. Try to socialize when you can and take lots of time to refresh afterward.
10. Be Aware of Your Body
Without a doubt, one of the top things you can do for yourself is to be aware of your body. This means documenting any changes you feel and going over them with your doctor. One of the most important things is to make sure you don’t have diabetes. If you have any inkling you do, then get checked out as soon as you can. You can even tackle this at some department stores that offer health days. High blood pressure and high cholesterol are also very important to keep track of too. So, visit your doctor regularly and make sure that everything is going well to keep your heart feeling great.
Your heart is one of the most important components of your body, so it is crucial to maintain its health. This can be a daily task though, as you really need to follow a regime that works with your lifestyle and schedule. These ten tips should help you find some easy ways to keep your heart on track though, so you can get the most out of your life.
