February is Heart Health Month. Whether you realize it or not, there are a handful of simple changes you can make in your daily life to make your heart’s job a little easier. Below will explore some of the simplest things you can do to make a big impact on your health.
- Get more sleep.
Studies show that the average adult does not get enough sleep at night, and that’s bad for business. Our body uses it’s time asleep to repair and recharge, so if you’re not getting close to 8 hours, your body could be struggling to keep up with the repairs.
- Eat Better
Making more healthy choices at mealtime can have a big impact on your heart. Avoiding foods with too much salt, sugar, and saturated fat can put a hurting on your heart. Add foods like nuts, steamed vegetables, fresh fruit, fish, and whole grains to your diet and you can significantly reduce your risk for heart disease and stroke.
- Take timeout to Relax
Stress is always hard on the heart. It’s important to take vacations once and a while. That doesn’t have to mean leaving the country. Something as simple of meditating, going for a walk or getting a massage can be all the vacation you need.
- Be More Active
Everyone should strive to get at least 30 minutes of exercise a day, but going for more isn’t going to hurt. Exercise is one of the best medicines for keeping your heart young and healthy. Whether you’re walking with a basic pedometer, or hitting the gym with a heart rate monitor, exercise is a heart healthy activity.
- Get Vaccinated
Coming down with something like the flu I hard enough, but when the symptoms can be enough to set off a heart attack, you should really consider getting vaccinated. A flu shot can significantly reduce your risk of heart attack during flu season.
Do you have more heart healthy tips? Comment below and let us know.