Healthy heart tips
Heart disease is one of the major killers today. But it doesn’t have to be that way— heart disease is largely preventable through healthy lifestyle choices. It’s important to remember that the choices you make in your everyday life have direct ramifications on your health, especially your heart. Because your heart serves such a critical function, taking care of it becomes all the more important to your overall health. Fortunately, there are a number of ways you can take your health into your own hands with these healthy heart tips: Get active each week. A healthy heart is one that gets exercised. Physical activity is essential to heart health. The Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise per week for good heart health. Whether you walk or run, play sports or swim, make sure you build enough active minutes into your week. It doesn’t have to be a chore—find a physical activity you enjoy and just stick with it. Enjoy healthy fats, avoid unhealthy ones. Fat is fat, right? Not so fast. Foods actually contain healthy fats and unhealthy ones. Good fats from vegetables, nuts, seeds and fish can reduce the risk of heart disease, lower bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol. Some fats, such as omega-3 fats, can even help heart muscles beat in a steady rhythm. Focus on the ones in foods like fish, nuts, avocado and olive oil. Limit your added fats, too, by trimming dressings, spreads, sauces and fried foods from your diet whenever you can. Snap out of a sedentary lifestyle. Even if you exercise, long bouts of sedentary time can hurt your heart health. Sedentary activities can include things such as working on a computer, watching television or reading. Studies suggest that sedentary behavior may be associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and an overall higher risk of death from any cause. To avoid sedentary periods, get active in your free time. Build movement into your everyday activities and take frequent breaks to stretch your legs if you work at a desk
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