Heart Health

The best immediate changes you can make to improve your heart health is to incorporate more activity, improve your diet and cut out calorie-rich food and drinks. Even small steps can start to add up, so try incorporating a 10-minute walk into your day and eat one extra piece of fruit or vegetable every day. Simple changes will be easier to maintain, rather than making large lifestyle adjustments.

Walking is one of the easiest ways to reduce your risk for heart disease and stroke. It provides an energy boost and is easy to fit into your lifestyle, as opposed to more strenuous workouts. It doesn’t just benefit your heart, either: it’s great for your lungs, and improves fitness, muscle tone, strength and balance. All that activity also improves sleep, reduces stress and helps combat depression. Even 10 minutes a day can make a difference, but if possibly, try to incorporate 30 minutes of light to moderate walking into your daily routine. You don’t even need to do it all at once – it’s the total time that you’re after.

For adults, a normal resting heart rate ranges between 60 to 100 beats per minute. A lower resting heart rate indicates efficient heart function and strong cardiovascular health.

The best way to lower your risk of stroke is to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Choose healthy foods and drinks, embrace an active lifestyle with regular physical exercise and maintain a healthy weight. Avoid smoking and excessive alcohol, and work with your health care professionals to lower blood pressure, control your medications and get checkups regularly.

Not all factors that contribute to heart disease can be controlled: your family history, your sex at birth or your age can all play a role. However, there are many steps you can take to reduce your risk of heart disease. Avoid smoking and tobacco, eat a heart-healthy diet, and make sure to get regular exercise – aim for at least 30 to 60 minutes of activity on a daily basis. It’s also important to reduce stress and get plenty of sleep. Above all, get regular check-ups and take steps to avoid infections as certain infections can lead to heart problems.