A Map to Maintaining a Healthy Heart
February is American Heart Month, which is the perfect time to review the best ways to stay healthy. This is especially important for loved ones between the ages of 35-54, as well as seniors. It’s never too late to make lifestyle changes to improve heart health.
The Center For Disease Control has tips and tricks for heart awareness month to help get you started on the path to wellness. What better time than the beginning of the year to focus on health!
Move it, move it
Physical exercise gets the blood pumping, and that’s a good thing! It helps keep the heart strong and healthy like any other muscle. Any kind of exercise is beneficial no matter if it’s hiking, yoga, or playing basketball. Caregivers need to make sure their loved ones are getting the appropriate kind of exercise as well. Going for a walk together is a great activity.
Eat healthy
Healthy eating leads to a healthy heart. Drastic changes don’t need to happen overnight since small changes over time add up. Start with adding some fruit and take it from there. You’ll start to see improvements to your digestive system, immunity, and cholesterol levels which all lead to a happier heart. Home care agencies are trained in helping manage diet, so if your loved one needs to make some changes a home care provider can certainly do that.
Lower that blood pressure
By maintaining a healthy blood pressure, the risk of heart attack and stroke are greatly reduced. It also lowers the risk of dementia and memory loss, as well as vision loss. Diet and exercise are a great way to lower blood pressure and experience all these benefits. What great motivation!
Cholesterol control
Cholesterol can only be checked by a doctor, so getting a blood test to find out results is the first step. If cholesteral levels are too high that could lead to plaque build up in blood vessels and arteries which could then lead to a heart attack. Diet and exercise are great ways to lower cholesteral. If a loved one has caregiver services make sure they are assisting with exercise and overseeing diet choices.
Lower that blood sugar
High blood sugar has an affect on the entire body. High blood sugar can weaken the blood vessels and damage the nerves that control the heart. It can also double the risk of heart disease, which makes it extremely important to manage. Once again, eating healthy and moving more can help keep these levels in check. Home care services can include regularly checking blood sugar levels so you’ll always have peace of mind.
The overall theme to managing heart health is diet and exercise. Any small change makes a difference and it’s never too late to start. If you have a loved one with in-home caregiving, make sure everyone is working together to ensure health and success.
