Make It Your Mission: Healthy Heart
3 keys to a healthy heart
The seemingly trivial act of walking, allows anyone, regardless of athleticism and at no cost, to obtain significant benefits in terms of health – with virtually no contraindications.
Amongst the best-known world-wide campaigns to promote physical activity in order to protect the heart, is that of the “10,000 steps a day”.
Using the 10,000 steps as a daily reference, guarantees a minimum level of physical activity that can help your heart stay healthy.
The heart is our engine. The healthier the engine the easier it is for the engine to perform its work. Like a car engine though, it needs maintenance.
Living a “heart healthy” lifestyle requires time, discipline and effort, yet even the busiest people can succeed by placing top priority on heart health.
Three keys to a healthy heart include: identifying risk factors, eating right, and staying physically active. A healthy lifestyle will make your body and heart healthier.
10 tips towards a healthy heart
Here are 10 simple things you can start doing immediately to work towards a healthy heart:
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Get active
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Give up smoking
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Manage your weight
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Reduce your salt intake
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Get your 5 A DAY (or more)
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Eat oily fish
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Walk off stress
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Cut saturated fat
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Drink less alcohol
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Cut ready-made meals – always read the food label
Why is walking good for you and your heart?
The first thing is to “get active”. That doesn’t mean you need to join the gym or become an athlete. Walking (or any other aerobic activity), is a great starting point towards a healthy heart.
The easiest way to become active is to start walking. Walking is the easiest form of sport and it’s virtually cost free. A simple activity like walking can have very positive effects on people who are considered at high risk of cardiovascular disease.
The cardiovascular disease risk factors are divided into non-modifiable (because you cannot change them) and modifiable (because they can be changed or treated).
Non-modifiable risk factors are: age, gender, and family history of cardiovascular disease.
Modifiable risk factors are: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, triglyceride, diabetes, unhealthy diet, harmful use of alcohol, smoking, obesity, and physical inactivity.
Being active is beneficial for your heart and; it is a starting point towards improving the modifiable risk factors.
The good news is that even small increases in physical fitness are associated with a significant reduction in cardiovascular risk, even if you have a pre-existing disease.
Is walking enough for a healthy heart?
To stay healthy or to improve health, adults need to do two types of physical activity each week: aerobic and muscle-strengthening activity.
For the purpose of this blog post we will focus on the aerobic activity.
How much physical activity you need to do each week depends on your age. What is important though, is that the chosen physical activity becomes a regular activity.
Let us say we have chosen walking as our physical activity. Adults aged 19-64, should try moderate-intensity walking for at least 150 minutes every week. One study showed that walking at least two hours a week reduced the incidence of premature death from cardiovascular disease by about 50%. In people with diabetes, exercise is thought to improve blood glucose control, which reduces the negative impact of diabetes on vascular health.
You might not think it is possible for you to start with the recommended 150 minutes of weekly walking. Sometimes it takes a while to incorporate something new in your lifestyle. But, you should make it your healthy heart your goal! An easy way to get 150 minutes of weekly physical activity is to commit to just 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week.
How can far infrared clothing help?
The fabric used to make the ABSOLUTE 360 garments absorbs infrared radiation emitted by the human body and re-emits the absorbed radiation as FIR waves, which interact with the human body, promoting:
- improved blood circulation – FIR significantly improves blood vessels function by dilating the capillaries, lowering blood pressure and reducing the risk of plaque being deposited on the artery walls
- Improved microcirculation – FIR boosts the flow of blood to tissue throughout the body, delivering vital nutrients while increasing oxygen levels.
The benefits listed above are only the beginning towards a life of well-being. Start your “wellness” journey today…