Disclaimer: In this post, I am sharing how I improve heart health as a patient. I am not a doctor, and it is to be used for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. If you take any actions from the content of this post, you are doing so at your own risk, and I am not responsible for any negative outcomes.
February is National Heart Month! It is so important that you do what you can to improve your heart health because poor heart health increases your risk for serious medical concerns such as a heart attack and stroke. Heart issues are even more common when you have a physical disability because you can’t always do a lot of exercise to improve your heart health like non-disabled people. Heart issues run in my family, and although it’s usually the men who have issues, it doesn’t mean that women are immune because heart attacks can happen to anyone. I take my heart health very seriously and have been fortunate to not have any serious concerns, but it’s never too late to start taking care of your health. Heart issues do not always have visible signs, and sometimes you can have a problem and not know it until something bad happens, and it’s too late. You can always improve your heart health because even the fittest people can be doing something a little more to improve their heart health. How can you improve your heart health? In this post, I am sharing a few easy ways you can improve your heart health.
Eat a healthy diet- Cardio is important for heart health, but not all disabled people have the ability to exercise. Exercise is important, and you should exercise if you are able, but if you are not able to, you can still improve your heart health by focusing on improving your diet. You don’t have to do hours of cardio to improve your heart health because your diet plays a major role. Eat a healthy diet most of the time because poor nutrition increases your risk for serious medical conditions such as a heart attack and stroke. Exercising more will improve your heart health, but you can’t out-train a bad diet, and sometimes your exercise frequency isn’t the problem, and it’s the food you are eating.
Do a little exercise– Cardio is so important for heart health because when you do cardio at a moderate intensity, it lowers your resting heart rate. A lower resting heart rate is something that everyone should be working toward because when your resting heart rate is lower, it means your heart is stronger. You don’t have to do hours of cardio to improve your heart because you can get benefits from exercise in as little as ten minutes. Medication can help people who have a heart condition improve their heart health, but you don’t always need pills, and sometimes all you need is a consistent exercise program. Never underestimate the power of going on a walk because it is one of the best things you can do for your heart health.
Know your numbers- High cholesterol and high blood pressure are silent killers because you can’t have dangerously high blood pressure without any symptoms. Knowing your numbers is so important because when you know what they are, you will be able to see red flags and catch serious medical concerns and treat them before you have a heart attack. Everyone benefits from having lower cholesterol numbers, but it can be difficult to improve them if you don’t get them checked regularly and have no idea what they are. Know your numbers because they can save your life!
Do some strength training- Most people sometimes think that if you want to improve your heart health, you have to do tons of cardio and eat healthy. Cardio and healthy eating are important for heart health, and you should do them, but don’t neglect strength training. Strength training improves your heart health because when you build muscle, it helps lower your blood pressure and cholesterol. Cardio and strength training are both equally as important, and you shouldn’t be doing one or the other; you should be doing both.
Quit smoking- Smoking is terrible for your lungs and will increase your risk for cancer because nothing good comes from smoking. If you smoke, one of the best things you can do for your heart health and to lower your risk for cancer is to stop smoking.
Reduce your caffeine- I drink coffee every day because you can still drink coffee and have good heart health, but there is such a thing as having too much. Caffeine raises your blood pressure, and drinking it in excess might be contributing to your high blood pressure. You don’t need more than a cup or two of coffee a day, and reducing your caffeine intake can help improve your heart health. Caffeine can support your heart health, and I am not suggesting you give it up completely because I would never do that, but drinking too much can sometimes cause issues. Drink your coffee in moderation for better heart health, and if you are drinking a lot of coffee and are starting to have issues, try switching to decaf or drinking less.
Get regular physicals- As a disabled person, I have to get physicals every year because my insurance requires it, but not everyone has to get yearly physicals, and most healthy people don’t because they feel fine and think they don’t need to. It is so important to get yearly physicals because not all health issues will have visible signs, and your doctor can check for things that you may not be having symptoms for before they become serious and untreatable. Don’t skip your yearly physical because they can save your life, and even though you feel healthy, that doesn’t mean you are.
Get enough sleep- Sleep can be more difficult for people with chronic pain, but it is so important that you get as much sleep as you can. It is okay to have a day or two when you didn’t have the best sleep, but if insomnia is a regular occurrence, you might want to talk to your doctor about getting a sleep aid. Poor sleep can put a lot of stress on your heart and can be a contributing factor to your high blood pressure and high cholesterol, because you need to be sleeping enough for good heart health.
Go to the dentist regularly– Most people are not consistent with going to the dentist because let’s be real, no one likes getting their teeth cleaned. It is so important to go to the dentist regularly because it’s not just about having perfectly white teeth. Teeth cleaning removes plaque from your teeth that can lead to heart issues if not removed. Don’t skip your teeth cleaning because it’s important for heart health.
Good heart health is so important because heart issues do not discriminate and can happen to anyone. Heart issues sometimes are preventable, and you shouldn’t wait until you have a heart attack before you start getting serious about your heart health. Take your heart health seriously and do what you can to improve it because the stronger your heart is, the less likely you will be to die young of a heart attack. Know your risk and talk to your doctor about it if you are at a higher risk, to see if there is anything you can do to lower your risk. Take care of yourself and manage your stress because high levels of stress can sometimes trigger certain heart conditions. Some heart conditions are genetic and are not your fault, but most of the time, people have heart issues because of poor lifestyle habits. Heart issues are not always obvious, and your best defense at keeping your heart healthy is to ditch the bad habits that are harming your heart health. What do you do to take care of your heart health? If you liked this post, please leave a comment below and share it with your friends.
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