Due to a changing society that is more apt to lead a sedentary lifestyle, there is a growing population of people put at cardiovascular risk. Affecting over 80 million Americans annually, the occurrence rate of cardiovascular disease and hypertension can be greatly minimized with some solid lifestyle changes that improve overall health (and can have a big impact on your well being).
Here are some steps that can get you started on minimizing your risk for these diseases:
Step 1: Stop Smoking
Smoking plays a large role in increasing your risk for developing cardiovascular disease, as well as a number of other diseases. This should be one of the first things you work to eliminate from your life to increase your heart health. If you are having problems quitting, talk to your doctor to explore your treatment options and programs that can help you quit.
Step 2: Minimize Alcohol Consumption
Alcohol destroys the liver over time. In trying to heal, the heart will have to pump faster to transport platelet-rich blood to liver. This can result in elevated blood pressure, which can over time become a chronic condition. If you do drink, limit your consumption.
Step 3: Tailor Your Diet
A diet high in sodium will contribute to your cardiovascular risk. Excess sodium in your diet can wear out the lining of the blood vessels, making your heart have to pump faster to transport blood to the damaged areas, also causing cardiovascular disease. Minimizing your consumption of salty foods will work wonders in decreasing your risk. Use only enough salt in your cooking to taste, and cut out processed salty foods like potato chips.
Step 4: Eliminate Stress
Reducing the stress in your life is one factor to reducing your disease risk. Whether your stress is coming from work, home or elsewhere, getting a control on it and working to lessen it will both help your heart health and your overall well being. Seeking medical help or eliminating the stress on your own both can be effective solutions.
Step 5: Exercise Regularly
While there is no surefire way to avoid cardiovascular disease, being obese puts you at extreme risk for developing one of these cardio-related diseases. Keeping your weight in check through regular exercise is one of the best things you can do for your health. The larger you are, the more your heart has to work, creating added stress on it. Maintaining a healthy weight through diet and exercise is the best way to prevent this. A mix of cardio and strength building exercise is the best to lose weight and maintain muscle strength. If you do not currently workout, start with walking around your neighborhood a couple times a week, and increase your exercise from there. Being active is key, so making that extra effort really counts here.
By following these steps, you can minimize your risk for cardiovascular disease and hypertension, and get the most out of your life.
