Pointers for Improving Cardiovascular Health

by Marie Rodriguez

Even though the health situation is better compared to over a year ago, staying home for a good part of the year affected the cardiovascular health of some people. Their inactive lifestyle played a significant factor after working from home when the pandemic started.

Health

Due to this, people need to start improving their cardiovascular health to reduce the risk of diseases and build their stamina and strength. It also allows them to manage their weight and improve their mood. Here are the things that people should do to improve their cardiovascular health.

Start an Exercise Routine

Starting an exercise routine is an excellent way to manage your cardiovascular health. Since the heart is a muscle, you should exercise it to strengthen it. But before you start lifting weights or going on a three-mile run around the neighborhood, you should consult your doctor and ask for recommendations from him.

An exercise routine strengthens your cardiovascular system and reduces the risk of heart disease. It also allows you to manage your weight and lower your blood pressure. Additionally, exercising increases the fat-to-muscle ratio in your body.

You’ll notice that you’re sleeping better, and your stress levels have decreased when you exercise. It also strengthens your bones and prevents falls, essential for a senior adult.

Eat Healthy Food

Eating healthy food is another way for you to improve your cardiovascular health. Your diet should include good food for your heart, including fruits, vegetables, salmon, mackerel, lean meat, brown rice, and low-sodium cottage cheese.

Aside from these food items, you can also include dark chocolate in your diet since it contains antioxidants that increase good cholesterol while decreasing bad cholesterol. Studies have also shown that dark chocolate can help reduce the risk of heart disease. But it would help if you also remembered to eat dark chocolate in moderation.

With the holidays just around the corner, you should avoid overeating even though the food is good for your heart. Overeating can lead to an irregular heart rhythm, resulting in heart failure. So, you should remember to eat moderately even if the food helps your cardiovascular health.

Reduce Stress

Reducing stress is also essential for you to keep your heart healthy. Even if you have normal blood pressure, you’ll have a higher risk of suffering from heart disease if you deal with a lot of stress. Sudden spikes in stress levels can result in a stroke or heart attack. So, you should find ways to reduce the stress in your life.

Aside from exercising and eating a healthy diet, it would help to consider meditation to reduce stress. Meditation also calms your mind and gives you a sense of peace. Yoga is another option since it allows you to practice controlled breathing, which helps you relax.

Additionally, a spa or tub in the backyard gives you a place to relax at the end of the day. So, working with hot tub dealers to install a customized tub at home is a good idea. The passive heat from a hot tub reduces blood pressure and enhances vascular function. It also reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, especially among people who cannot exercise.

Lose Excess Weight

The risk of plaque buildup in the arteries increases when your body weight increases. And overweight increases the risk of developing heart disease, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes. Belly fat also produces chemicals that cause chronic inflammation in different body parts.

And to prevent this, you should start a program that helps you lose excess weightModest weight loss already offers significant benefits for your health. Losing around 10 percent of your body weight tremendously benefits your cardiovascular health. It helps improve your blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels. Additionally, you’ll have a better mood and higher energy levels when you maintain weight loss.

Stop Smoking

Even if you exercise regularly and have a healthy diet, your cardiovascular health will still suffer if you smoke. Every year, around 480,000 people die due to cigarette smoking. Smoking causes emphysema, heart disease, lung cancer, kidney cancer, and breathing issues. The vice also increases the risk of developing certain eye diseases and tuberculosis. It can also affect the immune system.

So, when you stop smoking, you also reduce your risk of developing many diseases. It also allows your family to avoid secondhand smoke exposure, which also causes thousands of deaths in different parts of the country. While kicking the vice is challenging, you should work hard to quit smoking to take care of yourself and your family.

Caring for one’s cardiovascular health is essential to reduce the risk of developing heart-related diseases.

Related Posts