Healthy Heart Tips

For a healthy heart, a healthy lifestyle is a must.

The heart is the most important organ of the body as we all know but due to our busy lives, we do not take any special care.

However, there are some very simple rules that we must follow for a healthy heart.

Our days are largely consumed at the computer, in front of the TV, and traveling to and from work.

All that sitting can negatively impact our heart health.

If we have a daily routine of exercising then that is well and good but do not think that 30min of exercise can save you from the harm of sitting all day long.

Exercise and activity for a healthy heart

Let us first understand the difference between exercise and activity.

When you engage yourself in physical efforts that tend to increase your heart rate than normal it is called exercise and when you involve any kind of body movement it is called activity.

Including exercise in your routine and avoiding activity is harmful. For this take at least a 5min activity break in 1 hour.

Move your body by either a walk or moving your body parts to compensate for the harmfulness of sitting.

Do normal-weight people need to move more?

If you are slim then still there are chances of heart disease.

You are not excluded from the factors causing heart disease.

You can still have high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or high blood sugar, which can increase your chances of a heart attack, stroke, or diabetes.

So even normal weight people should pay attention to their health. They also need movement i.e. involve activity in routine for keeping the heart healthy. You are no different from others.

How active do you need to be each day?

A healthy amount of exercise and activity is:

• At least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise three to five times a week
• Getting five minutes of movement every hour
• Walking 10,000 steps a day

Besides this, there are some other ways to keep your heart healthy

There are some easy ways to keep your heart healthy. Some of them are listed below.

To keep your heart healthy
1. Eat Healthily
2. Quit smoking
3. Drink alcohol in moderation
4. And manage stress/ be less stressful
5. And get a good amount of sleeping hours

Also, make a healthy lifestyle your routine.

Follow a healthy lifestyle

This is the most common advice you have heard for various health calamities.

What do you mean by a healthy lifestyle? This includes a healthy diet incorporated with exercises and timely sleeping patterns.

Let’s see what type of diet, and exercise is good for keeping the heart healthy.

Healthy Diet

• Healthy fat: Omega 3 fat found in fish, monosaturated fat found in avocado, polyunsaturated fats found in nuts and seeds.
• Whole grains: Whole grain bread and pasta. They contain fiber and complex carbohydrates.
• Fruits &Vegetables: They contain fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
• Beans: Dry beans, peas.
• Low-fat dairy: Go for low-fat milk, yogurt, and cheese products.
• Protein: Fish, eggs, nuts, seeds.
• Baked or roast meat
• Mediterranean diet: It includes more vegetables and fruits.

What to avoid?

• Sodium: Packaged food, canned food, processed food
• Saturated & Trans fats: Fatty meats, whole milk dairy, butter, desserts, frozen pizzas
• Added sugars: Sweetened drinks, snacks, sodas, syrups, jellies, ice creams, pies, and energy drinks.
• Alcohol: Too much alcohol raises blood pressure.

Exercise for healthy heart

It makes your heart sturdier. It also controls blood pressure and reduces levels of LDL (bad cholesterol).

At the same time, exercise can raise levels of HDL (good cholesterol).

HDL helps protect against a heart attack by carrying fatty deposits out of the arteries.

The best exercise for the heart

Aerobic exercise: Any form of exercise that increases your heart rate so that more calories are burnt is a form of aerobic exercise like walking, jogging, running, dancing, swimming, and bicycling.

How much exercise is needed?

If you haven’t been exercising, try to work up to 30 minutes 4 to 6 times a week.

The doctor may recommend a different exercise routine based on your health.

Do different exercises daily and also include rest days.

This will help prevent injuries and also leads to a healthy heart.

Exercise for the busy schedule

• Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
• Walk during a coffee break or lunch or while you are on phone.
• Walk to work, or park at the end of the parking lot so you have to walk farther.
• Walk more quickly.
• Do housework at a faster pace and more often (for example, vacuuming every day).
• Involve more in physical work like gardening, cleaning, etc.

Maintain proper weight for a healthy heart

Maintain ideal weight according to height and age. Excess weight can stress your heart.

When combined with a healthy diet, exercise can speed up weight loss. Maintaining a proper weight is a must for a healthy heart.

Proper Sleep

When you will involve yourself more in physical activities and keep your mind engaged then your body will automatically demand rest.

Sound sleep of 6 to 8 hours rejuvenates the body keeping the heart healthy.

Besides this, for good sleep listen to relaxing music, do meditation, and can also use aroma therapy or massage.