Health and Wellness: Taking Care of Our Hearts
February is Health Healthy Month and a great opportunity to take inventory of our heart wellness. As we age our hearts become less efficient and have to work harder to pump the blood. Here are several ways we can promote heart health taken from livestrong.com. If you have any questions about healthy living, stop in and see Sharon Leddy-Smart Lifestyle Coordinator at The Atrium at The Cedars.
Exercise: Exercise is related to your cardiovascular health, and as an older person it’s important for you to be active. Exercise 30 minutes daily, even breaking it into three 10-minute sessions. Even moderate exercise, such as brisk walking 30 minutes daily, provides many benefits to your heart health.
Exercise can improve circulation, help you lose weight, aid in smoking
cessation, improve blood cholesterol levels, help manage stress, reduce coronary heart disease in women by 30 to 40 percent, and reduce risk of stroke by 20 percent in moderately active people and 27 percent in highly active people.
Eat Well: No matter what age you are, you can eat according to the American Heart Association guidelines to aid your heart. Consume at least 4.5 cups of fruits and vegetables daily; two 3.5-oz. servings of fish weekly; two 1-oz. servings of fiber-rich whole grains daily; four servings a week of nuts, legumes, and seeds; less than 1,500 mg of sodium daily; no more than 450 calories of sugar-sweetened beverages a week; and no more than two servings of processed meat a week. Saturated fat should be less than 7 percent of your total calories daily.
Manage Your Blood Sugar: Diabetes, or increased blood sugar that is not controlled, can lead to cardiovascular problems like atherosclerosis. The prevalence of type 2 diabetes may increase with age, and complications from diabetes can be more severe. Diet and medications can be very effective in managing your blood sugar, so get a checkup regularly.
Take Your Prescribed Medications: Don’t stop taking your medications. Your doctor prescribed them for a reason, and many of them may be keeping your heart healthy. The risk for heart attacks, strokes and heart failure becomes higher if you stop taking medications for your heart.