Last Updated on March 17, 2024 by Umer Malik
Staying healthy is essential these days as the country struggles with the virus. The emergence of new virus variants highlights the importance of taking care of one’s health, especially with some variants being more virulent than the original.
And when it comes to cardiovascular health, you can improve it by adjusting your daily routine. Since heart disease is a major issue facing many people these days, it’s important for you to take care of your heart to reduce the risk of contracting the disease. Here are the things you should do to take care of your cardiovascular health.
Table of Contents
Have a Healthy Diet
Having a healthy diet is a good first step in your journey to improve your cardiovascular health. The food you eat plays a significant role in taking care of your heart. You should increase your consumption of heart-healthy food, including vegetables, fruits, lean meats, and whole grains.
Guacamole and salmon are good options since they have healthy fats, which are beneficial for your heart. Berries have antioxidants that prevent the development of heart disease. Walnuts can reduce the levels of bad cholesterol in your body. The lycopene in tomatoes can also prevent oxidative damage and neutralize free radicals to reduce the risk of heart disease.
Exercise
Aside from a healthy diet, you should also have a regular exercise routine. You do not need to work out in a gym to do this. Taking a brisk walk or going out for a bike ride is good enough for you to get your heart pumping.
Exercising helps you reduce bad cholesterol, increase good cholesterol, reduce blood pressure, and lower body weight. It also increases insulin sensitivity, which is ideal for diabetic patients since it increases the ability of the body to use insulin. You should aim to exercise for at least 30 minutes every day. Aside from biking or brisk walking, you can also perform yard work or go swimming.
Control Blood Pressure
Controlling your blood pressure is also important to reduce the risk of heart disease. Research shows that people with elevated blood pressure have a bigger risk of suffering from a stroke or heart disease.
The amount of blood your heart pumps and the arteries’ resistance on the flow of blood determines blood pressure. Your blood pressure increases if your heart pumps more blood and your arteries become narrower.
To reduce blood pressure, you should watch your diet, exercise, lose weight, and reduce your sodium in your diet. Limiting alcohol intake also helps you reduce your blood pressure. Even though moderate alcohol intake offers some health benefits, it can increase your blood pressure if you do not limit it.
You should also learn to reduce stress in your life. So, you have to find a way to relax from the hustle and bustle of life. Setting up an aboveground hot tub allows you to have a place where you can relax at the end of the day. Using the tub can lower blood pressure and allow your muscles to relax.
It also helps you sleep better at night. A tub in the backyard is a convenient addition to your home and helps you overcome the challenges posed by the current health crisis.
Lose Weight
Losing weight can also help you stay heart-healthy. When you are overweight, your heart needs to work harder to ensure blood reaches all parts of your body. In this situation, your blood pressure will increase. It can also increase the risk of strokes and heart disease.
Studies show that obese persons who lose around 10 percent of body weight can improve their metabolic profile. This can lower their blood pressure and cholesterol levels. And they can accomplish this by lowering their caloric intake and exercising.
But you should lose weight gradually. You can start a diet with a lot of fruits and vegetables. It should also have fish, lean meat, seeds, and nuts.
Stop the Vices
You should also end your vices since these significantly affect your blood pressure. Smoking is among the biggest causes of heart disease. So, you should quit if you are a smoker. While a few people can go cold turkey, you can also gradually do it.
Moderate drinking has benefits for your health. But if you drink too much, it can cause high blood pressure, heart damage, and abnormal heart rhythms. Drinking more than a moderate amount of alcohol can also cause liver problems and stroke. If you want to take care of your cardiovascular health, you should stop the vices.
Taking care of your cardiovascular health is important to avoid getting sick, which is risky with the pandemic yet to end.
