A healthy and functioning heart is crucial for people to stay alive and continue living as they want to. However, heart disease has been commonly acknowledged as the No. 1 killer of Americans, beating cancer’s mortality rate by a landslide.
This is an exceptionally large number considering that heart disease can be easily prevented by adopting certain lifestyle changes as early as possible. We will explore the different tips for heart health that you can adopt in this article.
Maintain a Balanced and Healthy Diet
As you grow older, it can be tempting to just eat whatever you want. However, your diet can be one of the largest contributing factors to having worsening heart health. Everyone should get at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day across all meals and avoid alcohol, high sugar, and high sodium foods.
Stop Smoking
Smoking is one of the leading causes of preventable death here in the United States. On top of this, it is also an expensive addiction. There are many benefits to choosing to quit smoking and one of them is lowering your risk of heart disease and damage to your arteries.
Have Regular Physical Activity
Physical activity doesn’t mean that you have to be completing marathons or lifting extremely large weights. All you need to do is go for regular walks or take part in enjoyable activities like gardening, dancing, or swimming. Not only will this improve your cardiovascular system, but it can also contribute to optimal body weight, greater flexibility, mobility, and lower cholesterol levels.
Avoid any Unnecessary Stress
Stress can come in many forms and for most people, it is an unavoidable state of mind. However, this does not mean that you have to just suck it up and deal with negative emotions. There are many different stress management techniques like breathing exercises, yoga, or playing music. It will take time for you to find the best solution that works for you, but once you do, you can lower your chances of chronic stress. Chronic stress not just causes declining heart health but can also affect the immune system and your memory as well.
Get the Best Senior Living with Discovery Village At Stuart
Over 40 million Americans over the age of 60 are dealing with some type of coronary heart disease. Even though it is so common, coping with the disease and the symptoms can be an overwhelming experience for both the older adult and their caregivers. At the end of the day, everyone must get the support they need and for many adults, this can mean getting a placement in a senior assisted living community.
In an assisted living community, you get access to senior-centric amenities and exclusive senior living programs that help make each day full of laughter and purpose. More importantly, you can also get access to round-the-clock care from certified medical professionals who have trained in caring for people dealing with declining heart health. For more information on how our senior living options can help you or your loved one, contact us today by filling in this online form or by calling us at 772.362.9204.
