February is American Heart Month, a time when all people can focus on their cardiovascular health. Since 1964, the month of February has been set aside for American Heart Month. This is important because heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States, but thankfully there are lots of steps you can take to improve your heart health, as well as some common misconceptions surrounding heart disease.
5 TIPS THAT CAN HELP LOWER YOUR RISK OF HEART DISEASE:
Risk: Inactivity
- Solution: Move more throughout your day. Aim for at least 150 minutes each week of physical activity. Build up to activity that gets your heart beating faster and leaves you a little breathless. If you’re busy, try breaking your daily activity into 10-minute chunks.
- Stay motivated: Make walking dates. Join a pickup soccer or basketball game. Join a fitness class with your neighbor. Grab a loved one and dance in your kitchen.
Risk: An unhealthy diet
- Solution: Consider an option like NHLBI’s Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan, which is free and scientifically proven to lower high blood pressure and improve cholesterol levels.
- Stay motivated: Invite friends to cook up heart-healthy recipes together. Start a lunch club at work and trade recipe ideas.
Risk: Smoking, even occasionally
- Solution: Quitting can be beneficial to your overall health, even if you’ve smoked for years. Set a quit date and let those close to you know. If you’ve tried quitting in the past, consider what helped and what made it harder.
- Stay motivated: Ask your family and friends for support or join a support group. Find resources and connect with a trained counselor at 1-800-QUIT-NOW or smokefree.gov.
Risk: Inadequate or poor-quality sleep
- Solution: Sleeping 7-8 hours each night helps improve heart health. Try going to bed and waking up at the same time each day. Getting a 30-minute daily dose of sunlight may also improve sleep.
- Stay motivated: Resist that late afternoon nap. Turn off all screens at a set time nightly. Relax by listening to music, reading, or taking a bath.
Risk: Uncontrolled stress
- Solution: To help manage stress, try relaxation therapy and increase physical activity. Talk to a qualified mental health provider or someone you trust.
- Stay motivated: Join a friend or family member in a relaxing activity like walking, yoga or meditation every day.
