Written by Grace Volpe
February is the month of hearts, not only because of Valentine's Day, but also because it is American Heart Month! American Heart Month is a month dedicated to raising awareness about heart disease, and a time to encourage healthy heart habits.
Why is heart health important?
As most of us know, the heart is an extremely important organ, pumping blood through your body, removing waste and delivering nutrients. While many of us know the importance of our heart, we often overlook the importance of a healthy heart.
Having a healthy heart can allow you to have more energy, improved cognitive function, and lower your risk of chronic illness or other health concerns. Whereas, having an unhealthy heart can lead to high blood pressure, high cholesterol and an increased risk of heart disease.
How to maintain a healthy heart:
There are many lifestyle choices that can promote heart health, but there are also many choices that can have the opposite effect, causing poor heart health. Here are a few healthy habits and lifestyle changes you can adopt into your own life to better your heart health.
Heart Healthy Diet
Diet is a great way to manage heart health, as well as overall health. A heart healthy diet is one that includes; fruits, vegetables, whole grains, protein and healthy fats.
Create An Exercise Routine
Exercise is an impactful way to strengthen your heart muscle, it improves blood flow, lowers blood pressure and helps manage cholesterol levels, all of which help your heart pump blood more efficiently and with less effort. There are many different ways to incorporate exercise into your daily routine, some exercise ideas are; walking, pilates, cycling, strength training, swimming, or any type of sport.
Creating a new exercise routine is not something that has to be done alone, including friends and family into your routine is an easy way to make workouts a fun and social activity. Pure Power Pilates offers a range of exercise classes that can be done individually or with friends. And in honor of Heart Health month and creating heart healthy lifestyle choices, while also remaining social, Pure Power Pilates is offering a buy one get one half off discount for you and a friend. You can find our Heart Health Month Promo Package in retail under Packages.
Quit Smoking
Smoking can increase the likelihood of heart disease and other heart related issues. Smoking damages the heart and blood vessels, and the damage can lead to plaque buildup in the arteries, which can reduce blood flow to the heart.
While giving up smoking may seem like a daunting task to some, the benefits of quitting smoking are almost immediate. After just 24 hours without smoking, your risk of heart attack and stroke goes down, and continues to decrease even more as time goes on.
Manage Stress
Stress can also contribute to poor heart health, when experiencing chronic stress our body releases hormones that can increase blood pressure, increase cholesterol and cause inflammation in the arteries, all of which can increase risk of heart disease.
There are many different ways to manage stress, both individually and in group settings. Listening to relaxing music, stretching, meditating and practicing breath techniques, are all ways to manage stress individually. Spending time with friends and family or finding a community in an activity you enjoy, are both ways to destress while also remaining social and in the company of others.
Get Enough Sleep?
Not getting enough sleep can also increase your risk of heart disease. Although on some nights it may feel impossible to fall asleep, with the right night time routine, quality sleep is very achievable. Some ways to ensure quality sleep are:
Avoid screens: Limiting artificial light from phones or computers before bed can ensure a more restful sleep
Set a bedtime: Establishing and sticking to a regular sleep schedule can help your body’s internal clock maintain a consistent rhythm
Avoid caffeine in the afternoon and evening: Caffeine is a stimulant that blocks the body’s sleep chemicals, and by consuming caffeine in the afternoon or at night, it blocks your body from producing the sleep chemicals.
Maintaining a healthy heart is crucial to our wellbeing, and while lifestyle changes may seem daunting at first, they can be incredibly worthwhile and have tremendous benefits. By incorporating these tips regarding diet, exercise, smoking, stress and sleep, into your daily life, you are taking steps towards a healthier heart.