7 Lifestyle Habits To Maintain A Healthy Heart

According to the World Health Organization, cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death which takes up 32% of death yearly – this is an estimated 17.9 million annual deaths. 

The dangers of heart disease are well-known among people today, but it seems like the appropriate habits to avoid them are not as practiced. And while the best cardiologists out there can take care of the rising cases of heart disease patients, the preventive measures to avoid the life-threatening illness start with you.

Maintaining a healthy heart is important in maintaining your overall health and well-being. The heart is responsible for a lot of the essential processes that happen inside your body. And so, making sure that it is in its best state is warranted in living a long and healthy life. 

As the heart is a central organ in your body, the problems of the heart are also linked to various medical conditions that have serious implications for your health. Diabetes, aortic aneurysm, high blood pressure, and many others are associated with cardiovascular conditions. 

Different statistics and facts can only do so much in raising awareness about the importance of keeping a healthy heart. At the end of the day, your efforts to commit to a healthy lifestyle can not only prompt you to take care of yourself more but can also inspire one.

So, here are some simple lifestyle habits that promote a healthy heart:

 

Have A Balanced Diet

The kinds of food that reflect your overall health. After all, the food and substances that you intake serve as fuels for your body to function normally. From different vitamins to minerals, everything that you indigested is accounted for in your body.

Therefore, it is important to be mindful of the things that you eat and make sure that you are supplying your body with the right nutrients eat needs to be in its best condition. And so, while fatty and sugary foods are your go-to for any occasion, cutting down on your portions or balancing them out with fruits and vegetables would be best.

Fishes with omega-3 fatty acids, tree nuts, teas, dark chocolates, and even moderate consumption of red wine are all proven to promote a healthy heart by making your cholesterol levels in a good state.

 

Stretch and Exercise

The relationship between physical activity and cardiovascular health is important to understand as increased physical activity lessens risks of contracting heart diseases. In the USA alone, about 250,000 deaths are associated with a lack of regular exercise. 

Sitting on your desk all day or avoiding any form of movement and physical exercise prevents your body to develop weight loss, normal blood pressure, and balance cholesterol levels. And so, regardless of how tight your schedule can get, simple exercises such as walking and climbing the stairs can help exponentially.

Regular physical activity can also help improve your overall mood which leads to better productivity and relationship with the people around you. This just shows that with such minimal efforts in your lifestyle, benefits can manifest on bigger scales.

 

Cut Unhealthy Habits

Several lifestyle habits can lead to body activities that are detrimental to your body. Unhealthy practices such as smoking and overconsumption of alcohol can lead to a poor heart condition and an overall weakened body.

Smoking is the main “controllable” risk factor that leads to cardiac events. Because of tobacco consumption, irregularities in not only the heart but blood vessels can occur as well. The case is worse for people who inhale secondhand smoke as the chemicals emitted from cigarettes cause plaque buildup in the arteries.

If you are already experiencing high blood or have high cholesterol levels, your risk of getting heart disease climbs up to 30% if you surround yourself in an environment exposed to smoke.

 

Get Adequate Sleep

Sleep is one of the most common health habits to practice in having improved health. Sleep conditions such as sleep apnea are heavily related to heart diseases and so, it is important to keep in mind that leaving sleep problems untreated has lasting implications not only in your performance but heart as well.

It was also revealed in researches that people who sleep for less than six hours daily have a higher risk of having stroke and heart attack than those with adequate sleep.

No matter how busy your days get, squeezing insufficient sleep into your schedules is essential to keeping your body functioning normally and healthily.

 

Practice A Good Oral Hygiene

Good dental health is said to be a good indicator of good overall health. Dental conditions such as periodontal disease, which is a problem of the gums, are linked to heart disease. Several data found out that the bacteria in your mouth responsible for gum diseases are capable of traveling into your bloodstreams. This, then, leads to inflammation in your blood vessels.

Any dental issues can easily be controlled by properly brushing your teeth, flossing, and paying a visit to your dentist regularly. Keeping your health in good condition by holistic approaches is the best way to achieve holistic and long-term results that you will benefit from in the long run.

 

Avoid Stress

Chronic stress does not only lead to emotional and psychological distress but it cal also affect your physical well-being as well. A 2017 study that stressors can lead to negative cardiovascular episodes as well as inflammation in the arteries.

Stress also increases blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and blood sugar which are all risk factors for heart disease. So, while stress is a very common aspect of life and normally happens when dealing with a deadline or life changes, it is important to balance your emotions to make sure that not only does not impair your judgment it also does not make serious effects on your health.

 

Regularly Visit Your Physician

Unless you are a doctor yourself, understanding the science behind how your heart works and reacts to the things that you do can be complicated. Proper guidance and help are needed, especially when you are exposed to environmental conditions that can lead to a weakened heart and overall health.

As the popular saying goes, “prevention is better than cure”. And so, making visits to your physician yearly or more can help you improve on your lifestyle practices as well as determine measures and interventions that will improve the condition of your body.

 

Key Takeaway

Heart disease is a very prevalent condition among individuals, especially in today’s generation where the environment you are exposed to does not necessarily promote healthiness. From food to working conditions, it seems like the risks of having cardiovascular diseases are becoming more and more common.

With this worsening situation in mind, the importance to take care of your body by adopting healthy lifestyle habits is needed to be established and understood. This helps you perform better with your body’s best state at work as well as a sound mind active.

By the simple acts of having a balanced diet, getting regular exercise, cutting on smoking and drinking, sleeping adequately, having good oral hygiene, avoiding stress, and regularly visiting a physician, heart disease can be prevented. 

At the end of the day, good health is promoted by the things you do, regardless of how small or big they are. Incorporating these things into your lifestyle and turning them into habits will equip you with good health that makes you capable of doing greater things in the future.

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https://www.who.int/health-topics/cardiovascular-diseases#tab=tab_1

https://cardinalsantos.com.ph/news-and-updates/show/121

https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentTypeID=1&ContentID=2171

https://www.heart.org/en/news/2020/02/04/chronic-stress-can-cause-heart-trouble

https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/01.CIR.0000048890.59383.8D