Top 9 Tips for a Healthy Heart
February is American Heart Month — a time to wear red and focus on all the things that contribute to a heart-healthy lifestyle. We’ve pulled together our healthiest tips to keep your heart in tip-top condition.
- Enjoy Life
A happier person leads to a healthier heart. Make time to smile, laugh, and play. Stay engaged in hobbies that you enjoy. Don’t let growing older be a reason to let the fun slide away; you’re only as old as you believe!
- Get More Sleep
If there’s one thing you can do to help every system in your body, it’s getting more sleep. Sleep relaxes and restores your body. Adequate sleep helps decrease stress levels and improve overall happiness. Aim to get seven to eight hours of sleep a night and go to bed and get up around the same time each day. Be sure to spend plenty of time in the sunshine and on the move each day to make for your most restful sleep.
- Avoid the Bad
Limit the amount of sugar, saturated fats, and sodium in your diet. These junky foods can cause weight gain and clog arteries, which are both risk factors for heart disease.
- Nosh on the Good
While eliminating the bad, fill yourself full of the good, heart-healthy stuff — berries and other fruits, colorful vegetables, salmon, nuts and oats. (You can even sneak in some dark chocolate!) Look for the American Heart Association heart check logo on groceries to ensure you’re making wise choices for your heart.
- Reduce Stress
That’s often easier said than done, right? We know, but it’s important to try. There are many ways to reduce your stress level. Try yoga, meditation, a favorite hobby, reading, a relaxing bath or anything that brings you joy and takes your mind off of life’s stressors. There are even stress management and mindfulness classes available to help you learn to relax.
- Pump Some Iron
Yep! Building muscle has been proven to add to the benefits of regular cardiovascular exercise. The American Heart Association recommends getting in two days of moderate to high-intensity strength training each week.
- Get Moving
Exercise is key to the prevention of heart disease. The AHA recommends five 30-minute exercise sessions each week. (Hint: This can knock out some stress, too!) You don’t have to complete it all at once. Aim to take the stairs, park further away from stores and take walking breaks during the day to fit that time in.
- Get Health Screenings
Make sure you see your health care provider regularly. Check for things like diabetes, high blood pressure, a healthy weight and BMI, and good cholesterol levels. Visiting your physician annually can help you set healthy goals and stay on top of your health.
- Kick the Butts
Not those butts — cigarettes! Smoking cessation is the number one thing you can do to reduce your risk of heart disease. Speak to your physician or research resources to help you kick this habit and potentially add many years to your life.
Happy Heart Month! We hope we’ve inspired you to take some time out to focus on all this important organ does to support you and what you can do to ensure it keeps healthily ticking for many years to come.
Occoquan-Woodbridge-Lorton Volunteer Fire Department (OWL VFD) is one of the largest and busiest volunteer fire departments in the United States, with almost 300 members. OWL VFD provides fire suppression, EMS care and rescue services to 80,000 residents in our 27-square-mile area through the operation of three fire stations. OWL volunteer firefighters and EMT’s work the 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. shift, five days a week, plus 24/7 holidays and weekends. For more information on OWL VFD, become a fan on our Facebook page here.