Healthy lifestyle choices such as good nutrition and regular exercise are important for your overall health. But when it comes to your heart, these choices are vital.
Focusing on your heart will reduce your risk of heart attack, stroke, heart disease and other heart conditions. Ensuring your heart is strong will also help keep the rest of your body functioning at its best.
From practicing mindfulness to sticking to your bedtime, these small lifestyle tweaks can help you give your heart the love it deserves.
1
Get on a regular exercise plan, no matter how old you are.
Did you know that exercise can restore an aging heart? Studies show that exercise can reduce the stiffness of the heart, which can help it pump blood more efficiently throughout the body. “More than 5 million Americans currently have heart failure,” says Dr. Jay Pandhi, an interventional cardiologist affiliated with Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center. "Doing any kind of exercise can help improve heart health."
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2
Follow the Mediterranean diet with an emphasis on plants.
Choosing foods from the Mediterranean diet, which is high in fruits, vegetables, fish and healthier fats, has been shown to lower your risk of death from heart disease. According to Diane Bloomberg, a registered dietitian nutritionist at Sharp Grossmont Hospital, prioritizing plants is the secret to success. “Fill half your plate with vegetables,” she says. “And have less emphasis on meat.”
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3
If you have high blood pressure, monitor it at home.
Nearly half of American adults have high blood pressure. If left untreated, high blood pressure can damage your circulatory system and lead to serious health concerns. According to Odette Crandall, a population health case manager at Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Centers, monitoring at home is easy and essential. “Sticking to healthy blood-pressure-monitoring habits now will help you later.”
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4
Take steps to improve your sleep each night.
Research shows that the quality and duration of sleep may be associated with the risk of heart disease. Changes as simple as sticking to a regular bedtime or avoiding screen time before bed can improve sleep and, in turn, your heart health. The biggest culprits for inadequate sleep, however, are caffeine and alcohol. “Stimulants make it more difficult for our bodies to allow quality sleep,” says Dr. James Kim, a cardiologist affiliated with Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center, and he recommends getting at least 7 hours of sleep a night.
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5
Practice mindfulness to keep stress and anxiety at bay.
Mindfulness, the practice of being present in the moment with heightened awareness, is an easy way to bust anxiety and help you manage everyday stressors. For those with existing heart issues, mindfulness has been shown to help prevent cardiovascular events and is linked to a heart-healthy lifestyle. “Chronic stress can negatively affect the heart,” says Dr. Bryant Nguyen, a cardiologist affiliated with Sharp Grossmont Hospital. “Mindfulness can be one of several tools to reduce the likelihood of heart disease.”
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