Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States; however, men are more likely to develop heart conditions than women. Men develop heart conditions up to 10 years earlier than women, which makes them the main target for heart health improvement. That said, these heart health tips are beneficial for anyone struggling with maintaining a healthy heart. In fact, a study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that of the four most common risk factors for heart disease are high BMI, smoking, high blood pressure, and physical inactivity.
Based on that study and research published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, there are five key things the average person can do right now to improve their heart health and reduce their risk of a heart attack. These simple changes can make an incredible difference in your risk of developing a heart condition and yet the research states that only 1 percent of the population follows all of these healthy lifestyle practices. If you or someone you love is having heart problems or has the potential to develop heart problems, have them try some of the activities below to help decrease their heart disease risk. Everyone who follows all five practices, can reduce their risk of a heart attack by up to 80%!
- Quit Smoking – Those who didn’t smoke lowered their risk by 36 percent.
- Reduce Your Alcohol Consumption – Those who drank two or fewer alcoholic beverages per day had an 11 percent reduced risk.
- Exercise! – People who walked or cycled for 40 minutes or longer each day, plus engaged in at least 1 hour of other exercise per week, had a 3 percent lower risk.
- Eat Healthy – Those who ate a diet rich in fruits, veggies, legumes, nuts, reduced-fat dairy, whole grains, and fish showed an 18 percent reduced risk.
- Weight Loss – People who had a waist circumference below 37 inches reduced their risk by
12 percent
Need some help starting or maintaining these healthy habits? Check out these tips to keep yourself accountable on your heart health journey.
Download an App
It’s rare that we’re separated from our gadgets, so why wouldn’t we want to stay connected to our health as well? Interactive mobile health programs, many of them free to use, give you a space to record and monitor your health data, and some even offer advice, support, and reminders.
For example, Text2Quit users can text to receive tips on quitting smoking or wait to receive their personalized text messages throughout the day. It’s a convenient distraction for smokers trying to kick the habit. A study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that Text2Quit users were about twice as likely to quit as those who only received a brochure in the mail or used online self-help materials.
Another app, Nudge, acts like social media for the health-conscious. Users can compare their health and fitness scores to other Nudge users and social network friends, no matter which app, tracker, or wearable device they use. It syncs with other apps such as MapMyFitness, Moves, and Fitbit to provide one score that combines diet, exercise, and fitness inputs to measure how healthy you’re living. Users gain greater insight into their health by logging daily activities, such as fruit and veggie intake, exercise, and sleep.
Drink and Eat Mindfully
Remember to eat before you drink alcohol, the fuller you are from food, the less you will be tempted to fill up on beer and cocktails. The food will also help absorb some of the alcohol so you will still be able to make sobering decisions about your food and beverage habits. It also helps to alternate between water and an alcoholic beverage. When it comes to dietary decisions, choose wisely and focus on the aforementioned foods, but don’t be afraid to indulge occasionally. Having one hearty beer or one chocolate chip cookie is better than downing six light beers or mindlessly munching through an entire bag of pretzels.
Make a Schedule
Plan your meals, workouts, and extracurriculars so you don’t miss out on any of the things you want to do each week. To free up space in your schedule, grocery shop ahead of time and purposely cook enough to have leftovers. Try to work out in the mornings so you don’t have to hustle to the gym after work. Get into a routine and stick to it even on days when it might seem easier to skip your run, sneak a cigarette, or binge on brownies for dinner. Over time, your healthy habits will improve your heart health and feel like a natural part of your day.
All of these things may seem daunting but even picking just one to start with and improve can drastically lower your risk of developing a heart condition and preventing a heart attack. Put your health first and protect the most important organ in your body!
Leave a Reply