In the past decades, heart diseases used to affect only a certain age but, now a large population of the world deals with chronic heart diseases at a very young age. Preventing cardiovascular diseases and maintain a healthy heart means making right choices that will pay off for the rest of your life. For instance, healthy food choices, regular physical exercise can help maintain a healthy heart. It is very important to remember that your lifestyle choices are not only your defense against heart disease and stroke but it is also your responsibility. So this New Year, take some health resolutions for a healthy heart today and tomorrow.
Here’s how you can maintain a healthy heart:
1. Healthy eating habits:
Your eating habits can help your heart to stay happy and healthy. Eating the wrong types of foods can make your heart sick and ineffective after a while. Some bad foods for heart are foods that are high in sugar, fatty foods and frozen foods. Instead, your diet should focus on heart-healthy foods like fresh fruits, healthy nuts, whole-grain foods and vegetables.
2. Regular physical activity:
Regular physical activity is extremely essential for a healthy heart. The more active you are, the stronger and healthier your heart will be. Walking, swimming, yoga, aerobics or running any sort of activity is beneficial for the heart. Whatever type of activity you do, make sure it involves your heart.
3. Quit smoking:
If you smoke, you should quit it instantly. Not only does smoking harm your lungs, but it also damages your heart. Smoking can put you at a higher risk of developing heart disease.
4. Healthy weight:
Weight management plays an important role in heart health. Excess weight can create havoc on your heart by increasing the blood pressure and cholesterol levels. This can put extra pressure on your heart and make it hard for it to pump blood throughout your body, and building up fat in your arteries. A healthy weight can be maintained by a fiber-rich diet, adequate proteins and balanced meals. Also, physical exercise is very necessary to lose weight.
5. Manage stress levels:
A lot of stress can damage your artery walls and cause high blood pressure. Stress can surely affect your heart in a negative way. Therefore, it becomes extremely important to manage your stress levels. Meditation, breathing exercises and yoga are some of the techniques that can help manage your stress levels.
