6 Lifestyle Tweaks For a Healthier Heart
Small changes to your daily routine can yield big benefits to your heart health. Here's how to get in tick-tock shape.
How to Improve Heart Health in 6 Easy Steps
Did you know that as much as 80 per cent of premature heart disease is preventable by making specific lifestyle choices? Some heart health strategies, such as exercising and managing weight, are well known. But others may not have crossed your mind. “A small change in your everyday routine can potentially have a big impact in the long run,” says preventive cardiologist Dr. Beth Abramson, a spokesperson for Heart and Stroke Canada.
Improve Heart Health By Eating Breakfast
A recent study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that healthy people who skipped breakfast were almost three times more likely to have heart disease six years later than those who partook in a substantial morning meal. One possible reason: “If you’re eating a proper breakfast, you’re less likely to be hungry later and make poor food choices,” says Abramson. “We need to eat a balanced diet as part of a healthy lifestyle.” Choose whole-grain, low-fat breakfast foods and include fruit.
Find out exactly what happens to your body when you skip breakfast.
Get Eight Hours of Sleep
“When you’re not rested, everything that happens in your life is a lot more stressful,” says Dr. Arya Sharma, founder of the Canadian Obesity Network and a professor of medicine at the University of Alberta. If we’re sleep deprived, our bodies also have more difficulty controlling blood pressure, inflammation and glucose levels. These factors can all have an impact on cardiovascular health.
Don’t miss these expert tips for a good night’s sleep.
Engage in Volunteer Work
Doing good for others helps your self-esteem and relieves stress. Research published in Psychosomatic Medicine in 2016 showed that a feeling of purpose in life is linked to a lower likelihood of heart attack and stroke. “We know that loneliness is a risk factor for heart health,” adds Sharma. “Volunteering gets you out of the house and creates a social network.” Depending on the type of work you do, volunteering might even increase your physical activity.
Here are 50 heart health tips cardiologists want you to know.
Avoid Polluted Air
Exposure to this kind of pollution over time raises your risk of heart disease. Inhaling contaminants formed from chemicals like sulphur dioxide, carbon and nitrogen oxides may irritate arteries and increase inflammation. Even short periods of exposure are unhealthy for people who already have other cardiovascular risks, such as high blood pressure. Try to get your outdoor exercise far away from highways and industrial districts, and spend more time indoors when the air quality index is poor.
Find out what happens to your body when you start walking 10,000 steps a day.
Seek Help For Depression
“Depression can affect the way we behave,” says Abramson. Not only are we more likely to drink too much alcohol and to avoid exercise, there are also physiological effects of this condition on the body, such as higher levels of stress hormones and blood sugar, that can be associated with poor heart health.
Find out what booze really does to your body.
Laugh Harder—And More Often!
A 2016 study in the Journal of Epidemiology of more than 20,000 people over the age of 65 found a lower incidence of cardiovascular disease in those who reported laughing every day. Laughter reduces stress and depression, and it may also serve as a mini-workout, helping your circulation and protecting the health of your arteries.
Read up on more health benefits of laughter.
