Keeping Your Heart Healthy As You Age
As we age, it’s more important than ever to prioritize heart health. The choices you make in your everyday life play a significant role in the overall health of one of your most crucial organs. While those over 65 years of age are at higher risks for heart disease, prevention is key for keeping your heart in tip-top shape.
Whether you struggle with high blood pressure or you’re simply looking to take better care of your body, there’s never a bad time to focus on caring for your heart. Discover how you can keep your heart healthy:
- Incorporate Low Impact Exercise: Much like the other muscles in your body, the heart needs to be worked out consistently to stay strong. Integrate light exercise, such as walking or yoga, into your everyday routine. This simple addition offers a large reward! It’s not only a great activity for your heart, but also your overall health!
- Eat a Balanced Diet: Opting for a diet high in whole grains and low in processed foods is one of the keys to healthy aging, and this is true for your heart, too. Limiting foods high in sodium and incorporating more fruits, veggies, and lean meat can make a big difference in the strength of your heart. Ask your doctor about the benefits of the Mediterranean diet and how it can positively impact your heart health.
- Monitor Hypertension: As we age, it’s important to keep an eye on both cholesterol and blood pressure levels. High levels of the two can lead to increased risk of heart attack, stroke, and heart disease. If you have hypertension, it’s crucial you follow a healthy lifestyle.
- Quit Smoking: It’s no secret that smoking is bad for your health, specifically your heart. It’s the leading cause of preventable death in the United States and comes with its own warning label. The tobacco in cigarettes wrecks havocs on artery walls, reduces lung function, and is linked to a number of cancers. If there was ever a time to quit smoking, it’s now.
- Prioritize Sleep: You can’t put a price on a restful night of sleep. Quality sleep is essential your immune system, brain function, and heart health. The heart needs rest, just like the body itself, and is significantly impacted when your body doesn’t get enough sleep. Create a night-time routine to tell your body it’s time for bed and ensure you get plenty of restful sleep.
- Check In on Your Well-Being: Similar to brain health, overall heart health is affected by both stress and mental health. Stress can not only cause blood pressure to spike, but also impair sleep; two items that are important in keeping your heart healthy as you age. It’s important to find an outlet to manage stress, whether that be through exercise or therapy.
While these tips can help you get on a good track towards prioritizing a strong heart, it’s important to talk to your doctor if you have concerns regarding the health of your heart. He or she can provide you with resources or medications to help prevent cardiovascular disease.