Happy International Women’s Day! – Protecting Heart-Health

Heart disease is not only the #1 contributor to premature death in men, but is also the #1 contributor to premature death in women. In light of International Women’s Day, we wanted to share some tips and resources on how to improve your heart-health.

1. Being Active

Doing any kind of physical activity, whether it be walking, swimming or running is good for your heart. Doctors recommend at least  30 minutes of physical activity each day to help reduce the risk of heart disease. Exercise helps to lower blood pressure, which overall helps reduce your risk.

2. Sleep

The recommended sleep per night is  7 to 8 hours. When you receive proper sleep, it gives your body the ability to slow down your blood pressure and heart rate. If you don’t sleep enough, your body constantly produces adrenaline and stress hormones, which keep you awake. That means your blood pressure and heart rate doesn’t slow down as much as it should, and that hurts your heart.

3. Healthy Eating

Eating healthy is essential to having a healthy heart. When you reduce foods with trans fats and replace it healthier food options it aids into a healthier heart.  Fortunately, we have many heart-healthy recipes that you can use towards developing a heart-healthy diet.

Resources

Heart And Stroke Foundation

They have many great resources on what to look out for and how to improve your health.

Participaction

They’re a wonderful resource for learning about and trying new exercises or sports. They not only have great resources for adults, but also for kids on what you can do to stay fit throughout the year.