Celebrate American Heart Month by checking on your own heart-healthy habits
Written by Janelle Helgerson, Population Health Nurse, in collaboration with Tammy Thompson, Clinical Exercise Physiologist and Cardiac Pulmonary Rehab Manager at Crossing Rivers Health
What are you doing to care for your heart? Small steps every day can reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease (also known as peripheral artery disease).
Heart disease is a general term that refers to conditions related to your heart and vessels. Heart disease risk factors include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, excess weight, stress, smoking, and poor blood sugar control. You can’t change your family history; however, you can reduce or eliminate many of these risk factors by making small changes. The list below includes some ways to achieve heart-healthy habits.
- Maintain blood pressure within a recommended goal of less than 140/90.
- Stop smoking, vaping, or using smokeless tobacco products.
- Maintain a healthy weight through nutritious food choices and regular exercise.
- Manage stress by not overcommitting yourself and practicing relaxation activities.
- Know your cholesterol levels and maintain LDL and triglyceride levels within normal ranges.
- Monitor your blood sugar level to prevent or control diabetes.
One of the easiest ways to manage and control the above risk factors is through participating in regular physical activity. Physical activity can be walking daily for 30 minutes or more, reducing time spent in sitting activity, and finding fun ways to move the body with family members. Including your children helps them learn the importance of an active lifestyle and build these healthy habits at a young age. Regular exercise has proven to be as effective as medications in managing heart disease risk factors.
Breaking exercise into small chunks of time may be more manageable and as beneficial as one 30-minute segment. Walking for 10 minutes in the morning, 10 minutes at noon, and 10 minutes later in the evening could be one way to achieve the daily exercise recommendations without investing 30 minutes at one time. Other ideas for exercise include biking, swimming, yoga, dancing, hiking, snowshoeing or any activity you enjoy.
Diet management strategies include adding more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains to your meals and snacks. Reduce the amount of fried, processed, and fast foods you consume. Incorporate portion reduction by using a smaller plate and not getting seconds. When eating out, share an entrée or ask for a box and save part of your meal for later. Small gradual diet changes can yield healthy benefits over time.
Contact your primary care provider to discuss a personalized action plan if you have additional questions about making heart-healthy lifestyle choices.