10 Essential Habits To Improve Your Heart Health
Putting your heart health first should be at the top of your list of lifestyle habits. Diet and exercise are about so much more than how you look. If you want to feel great and keep that oxygenated blood pumping around your body, focus on these heart-healthy tips, from heart-healthy meals, ideas to get moving, and delicious recipes.
10 Daily Habits To Improve Your Heart Health
1. Eat A Heart-Healthy Diet
A heart-healthy diet is a big step towards reducing your risk of heart disease. The most common type of heart disease is coronary heart disease. This occurs when the arteries that supply oxygen-rich blood to the heart become narrowed or blocked by cholesterol or plaque buildup. Highly processed foods, foods high in saturated fat (fatty meats, full-fat dairy products, and certain oils such as palm oil), and foods high in sodium (salt) or added sugars all contribute to the risk of heart disease.
To improve your diet and make it heart-healthy, choose whole grains, fruit and vegetables, lean protein (such as legumes (beans), poultry, and fish), and foods with healthy unsaturated fat such as olive oil, avocado, nuts, and fish.
Most people struggle with big overnight changes to their diet, so try making gradual improvements. Make one small change and stick to it for a few weeks until it becomes a habit. Then make another small change and keep going until you’re habitually eating a heart-healthy diet. The first improvement could be as small as swapping your mid-morning cookie snack for a piece of fruit.
2. Get Active
Exercise is almost as important for your heart as diet. It strengthens your heart muscle, making it better at pumping blood with less effort. Moving more lowers your blood pressure and your resting heart rate, improves cholesterol levels, and helps manage your weight.
Ideally, everyone should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise (walking, jogging, swimming, or cycling) or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise (HIIT training or running) per week. For some people, that sounds like a lot, and for others, it’s just a typical day’s activity level. The trick with exercise is to find something you enjoy. Just because you hated exercise at school doesn’t mean there isn’t a sport or activity out there with your name on it. Keep trying to find your thing.
It’s also important to complete at least two strength-training sessions every week. Strength training builds muscle, boosts endurance, and helps you maintain a healthy weight.
3. Aim For A Healthy Weight
Your health is the No.1 reason to keep your weight in check. It’s not about the wobbly bits we all see in the mirror; it’s the visceral fat buildup that causes the problems – fat that’s packed around your organs beneath the abdominal wall. Its presence is linked to heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. A sign of excess visceral fat is a larger waistline. Men should aim for a waist circumference of less than 40 inches (102 cm), and women, of less than 35 inches (88 cm). The good news is this dangerous type of fat responds quickly to diet and exercise – often, it’s the first type of fat you’ll lose.
4. Avoid Smoking and Secondhand Smoke
You know smoking is bad for you. This isn’t the 1950s. If you still smoke, quit now. There are no excuses for continuing with this terrible habit. It’s not just bad for your lungs, it’s also bad for your heart. Plus, avoid secondhand smoke – if someone cares about you, they should know better than to smoke in your presence.
5. Monitor Your Cholesterol Levels and Blood Pressure
High cholesterol and high blood pressure are known as silent killers; unless you monitor your levels, there’s no way of knowing you’re at risk. Follow your doctor’s recommendations and have your cholesterol and blood pressure checked regularly.
6. Limit Alcohol Intake
The idea that drinking red wine is good for your heart has largely been debunked. Red wine may contain antioxidants, but berries are a far better food source. There is no completely safe level of alcohol consumption, but if you do drink, it’s recommended to keep below 14 units of alcohol per week and not drink every day.
7. Stay Hydrated
Drinking enough water and staying hydrated is another essential heart-healthy tip. When your body’s fully hydrated, your heart works more efficiently, making it easier to pump blood around the body.
8. Manage Stress
Stress has physical symptoms. It can cause the overall diameter of your blood vessels to become smaller, increasing blood pressure. When we feel stressed, we release the stress hormone cortisol. This is all part of our fight-or-flight response, and some stress is essential for daily life. It’s when stress is constantly present in our lives that our bodies begin to suffer. Too much can lead to a buildup of visceral fat, increased appetite, high blood pressure, struggling to sleep, and feelings of anxiety. Find ways to manage stress, such as taking short breaks from work, practicing yoga or other relaxation techniques, or seeking support from friends and colleagues.
9. Get Enough Sleep
Getting enough sleep is linked to heart health, with quality sleep reducing inflammation in the body. Regular poor sleep can affect your immune system and may damage the inside of your arterial walls, including the arteries in your heart. This increases the risk of a heart attack or stroke.
Try to get 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night, with 1.5 to 2 hours in restorative, deep sleep, by following these tips for a good night’s sleep.
10. Schedule Regular Check-Ups With Your Health Care Provider
It’s important for everyone to monitor their heart health with regular doctor’s appointments and follow their health care provider’s recommendations. Your doctor is there to answer your questions and concerns, and it’s best to be proactive, especially if you have a family history of heart disease and heart-related issues.
Exercise Ideas For A Healthy Heart
Everyone owes it to themselves to stay active. It’s not just good for your heart; you’ll feel so much better in your day-to-day life.
This site is packed full of ideas to get you moving, from suggestions for complete beginners who haven’t exercised in years to lapsed exercise junkies. Our No. 1 recommendation is to start walking. It’s the most natural form of exercise and accessible to just about everyone. Alternatively, if you want to push yourself a little harder, try one of our Couch to 5K plans. You could be running a 5K in just 8 to 12 weeks.
NOTE: If you have any known heart issues or you haven’t exercised in a long time, talk to your healthcare provider before starting an exercise program.
Suggested exercise plans for beginners:
- 6-Week Walking Exercise Plan For Overweight Unfit Beginners
- 4-Week Body Transformation Walking Exercise Plan
- 28 Day Walking Plan For Weight Loss: Shed Pounds And Get Fit
- 21-Day Shed The Pounds Walking Plan For Fat Loss
- Couch To 5K Training Plan (Complete C25K Running Guide)
Heart-Healthy Recipe Ideas
A heart-healthy diet doesn’t have to be boring. As soon as you discover the joy of eating home-cooked food full of fresh vegetables and lean protein, you’ll never want to return to a diet of takeaways and highly processed food. Here are some suggestions:
- 10 Best Overnight Oats Recipes (Healthy & Easy To Make)
- 10 Easy Breakfast Recipes With 30 Grams Of Protein
- Easy Meal Prep Buddha Bowls (Healthy Lunches On The Go)
- Easy Bean Soup Recipes (Quick, Healthy & Vegetarian)
- 12 Simple & Healthy Vegetarian Lentil Recipes
- 16 Healthy Snacks For Work (Meal Prep And Eat At Your Desk)
I hope you’ve found these tips helpful for improving your heart health. Please explore our site and make use of the free heart-healthy recipes and exercise plans.
