Keep your heart healthy: daily habits that make a difference

A healthy heart equals a happy heart

How often have you heard the saying – “a healthy heart is a happy heart”? This is not simply a phrase but one that is supported and backed by scientific evidence. Living a healthy lifestyle is not only important for overall wellbeing but can prevent heart diseases and strokes. In fact, up to 80% of heart diseases and strokes that occur before the age of 65 years can be prevented by maintaining healthy habits.

Small improvements and incorporating various factors such as sleep, nutrition and movement into your lifestyle can help maintain a healthy heart. These factors work together to promote cardiovascular health and reduce the risk of heart disease.

Get sufficient sleep

Adequate sleep helps regulate hormone levels and reduce stress, both of which are important for heart health. Recent studies suggest that not getting sufficient sleep can triple the risk of heart disease. It is important to maintain good sleep hygiene by keeping a consistent sleep routine like going to bed and waking up at the same time every day. This can regulate your body’s internal clock and improve the quality of your sleep. 

Employing innovative solutions that measures your sleep recovery and stress levels when you wake up will help you identify the early signs of stress, illness, injury, or changes in your health status before they manifest as actual symptoms in the body. By improving sleep quality and duration, you can positively impact heart rate and blood pressure, giving your heart a better chance to rest and recover, ultimately contributing to a reduced risk of heart disease.

Eat your way to a healthy heart

Nutrition plays a crucial role in supporting heart health. A balanced diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats can help reduce the risk of heart disease. Additionally, avoiding excessive consumption of processed foods, sugary drinks, and high-fat foods can help maintain a healthy weight and lower cholesterol levels, which are common risk factors for heart disease.

When you consider that 70% to 80% of heart disease and stroke can be prevented by your diet, you might reconsider ordering a takeout meal for dinner in favour of a healthy home-cooked meal. Create daily menus and plan your meals around fresh, unprocessed foods. This can help prevent you from falling back on unhealthy choices. 

Get that heart pumping

Are you one of the almost 40% South Africans who are physically inactive? Then you may want to pay attention and get moving. Regular exercise is key to maintaining a healthy heart, as it helps to strengthen the heart muscle, improve blood circulation, and reduce the risk of heart disease and other conditions. Activities like walking, running, swimming, or cycling helps make the heart stronger and keeps your cardiovascular system in good shape. It also lowers blood pressure, improves circulation, and reduces the risk of health issues like obesity and diabetes that can lead to heart disease. 

The key is to schedule regular times for exercise and stick to them, making physical activity a part of your daily routine. Simple changes in habits like taking the stairs instead of elevators, walking during breaks or standing while talking on the phone can go a long way to keeping that heart muscle fit, healthy and pumping!

“A healthy heart is not just the engine of life, it’s the cornerstone of a vibrant existence. Maintaining heart health is indeed critical not just for physical wellness, but for enjoying a full and active life. We believe in removing the barriers to knowing how healthy you are through our innovative solutions that rewards people for living healthy lifestyles. By knowing your health status, you can take action and get rewarded.,” says Márcia Eugénio, Head: Momentum Multiply.

Leave a Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *