Take Control of Your Heart Health During American Heart Month
Did you know that February is American Heart Month? Taking care of your heart is vitally important, especially when considering that heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. Thankfully, there are many lifestyle habits you can embrace to manage your blood pressure and decrease your risk of heart attack, stroke and other heart diseases. This post explores a few tips we at Springpoint have found that help you support your heart health.
4 Tips for Heart Healthy Living
1. Maintain an Active Lifestyle
Perhaps one of the more effective changes you can make for heart healthy living is incorporating exercise into your daily routine. For a focused approach to heart health, include aerobic activities that engage your heart for a long period of time at least three to four times a week. This can be as vigorous as swimming or easy as biking or picking up the pace during your walks. After all, your heart is a muscle, and the more you work on it, the stronger it will become.
2. Be Mindful of Your Diet
Healthy eating is essential to your wellbeing and can help reduce your risk of heart disease. Try focusing on fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy, whole grains and lean protein when planning your meals. Need some ideas to help get started? One eating plan specifically designed with lowering blood pressure in mind is Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, or DASH. This plan, promoted by The American Heart Association and the Mayo Clinic, emphasizes healthy food sources, portion control and consuming the necessary amount of nutrients.
3. Avoid Smoking and an Abundance of Stress
Stress and smoking are the two things most commonly encouraged to avoid when it comes to maintaining a heart healthy lifestyle. Stress can have many harmful effects on your body when not properly managed, including high blood pressure and cholesterol levels, irregular heart rhythms and damage to your arteries. And smoking is a major risk factor for ischemic heart disease, which is when plaque builds up inside the coronary arteries leading to narrowed arteries and reduced blood flow to your heart muscle.
4. Talk to Your Doctor
Always consult your healthcare provider when it comes to your health and wellness. It’s important to remember to make regular appointments to check your blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol and triglycerides, and ask for additional advice and tips to keep your heart healthy.
Learn How to be Heart Healthy at Springpoint
At Springpoint, we encourage holistic wellness through LivWell, our award-winning wellness program. Our comprehensive program goes above and beyond in offering activities and amenities to help you live a healthy lifestyle touching on all seven dimensions of wellness.
One of the best components of the LivWell program is the personalization. You’re able to share your own goals with our team members who will guide you to amenities and activities that suit your needs. So, if you’re interested in heart healthy living, Springpoint communities have the expertise and personalized approach to help.
Contact us today to learn more and to schedule your personal tour.
