It’s like they say: you don’t know what you have until it’s gone.
Diseases affecting the heart are the number one cause of death across the globe. For such an essential organ, we’re pretty bad at taking care of it. Yet a few simple lifestyle changes could lead to a dramatic reduction in your chance of developing heart problems.
Here are five tips for keeping your heart healthy that you can start using today.
1. Get That Body Moving
Look, humans are made to move. In our early days, we were hunter-gatherers, so exercise is at the core of our being. It’s what we’re made to do.
Unfortunately, our modern, sedentary lives are on the other end of the spectrum. Without enough exercise, our bodies are like cars rusting in a garage—and your heart is the car’s engine.
So get up, get out, and start walking. You don’t have to run a marathon, either. Absolutely any workout is better for your heart than no workout.
2. Fat Facts
Although fat has gained an unfair reputation in recent decades, it remains true that eating the wrong kinds of fat in excess can cause problems for your heart.
For a healthier heart, you can reduce your intake of saturated fats. Studies show that diets high in saturated fats can lead to the development of heart disease and other conditions that directly or indirectly put a strain on the heart.
3. Extra Baggage
There are a lot of health benefits to shedding those extra pounds, and a healthier heart is one of them.
Carrying excess weight puts extra pressure on the heart. Obesity is a common risk factor for developing cardiovascular disease and circulatory diseases. Luckily, other lifestyle changes you can make for your heart’s sake will likely lead to losing weight, too—which goes to show that many small commitments go a long way.
4. Sweet Dreams
Science has made it clear that sleep is the foundation of good health. Even for people who are healthy in other ways, poor-quality sleep can cause health problems.
When something has such a systemic impact on our health as sleep does, the heart is always going to be at the center of it all.
Bad news for us, then, that our sleep hygiene might be the worst it’s ever been. Practice good sleep hygiene and defend the quality of your sleep like your life depends on it—because it might.
5. Stress Test
Stress, alongside obesity, is another ticking time bomb of modern health. With so many of us reporting high-stress lives, it’s no wonder our bodies feel the strain.
Our bodies have complex reactions to stress. Even when that stress is psychological, the results are very physiological, causing inflammation that taxes the heart and can lead to the development of cardiovascular diseases.
Keeping Your Heart Healthy Made Simple
Keeping your heart healthy isn’t as complicated as it sounds. You don’t need to be a surgeon to make some simple changes that will keep the ol’ ticker doing its job. You’re sure to miss it when it’s gone.
Looking for more lifestyle tips? Make sure to check back often.
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