A healthy heart leads to a longer life. The heart is a vital organ which keeps your body’s blood moving efficiently. The heart has various roles; one of the most important is that it controls the supply of oxygenated blood and eliminates carbon dioxide. When your heart starts to fail, so does your whole body. Therefore it is crucial to have a healthy heart to live a healthy life. Here are seven ways to a healthier heart:
- Be Active – Developing a steady exercise program can benefit your heart and reduce the risk of heart disease. Try your best to exercise three – four times a week for at least half an hour at a time. Besides the exercises you do a few times a week you should also do 30 minutes of cardio six times a week.
- Brush and Floss Everyday – Periodontal disease increases one’s risk of heart disease. For women, having gum disease doubles their chances of having heart disease. The reason? Gingivitis is said to increase the risk of heart disease and stroke because of the high levels of bacteria in the infected mouth. The bacteria can enter the bloodstream through the gums and damage the blood vessels, which can then lead to clotting.
- Reduce Your Salt Intake – Reducing your salt intake can reduce the risk of heart disease by 40%. People should be having among 1500 – 2000mg of salt per day; the average American consumes 3400mg of salt a day. This can really affect a person’s life and cause them to have cardiovascular problems as well as blood pressure problems.
- Drink Wine – Drinking alcohol in moderation is actually good for your health. Having one glass of wine a day (for women it would be about one standard drink whereas for men it would be two) can actually reduce your chance of dying from heart disease by 25%. It can also prevent heart attacks. This is because grapes are rich in quercitin and resveratrol. These two substances are not only good for the heart, but also extend your lifespan.
- Get Enough Sleep – Constantly sleeping poorly and for only a few hours at a time can actually lead to high blood pressure and stroke. Sleep allows the heart to slow down and blood pressure to drop. If a person is not sleeping enough, this cannot happen and increases in blood pressure occur.
- Have More Sex – Having sex twice a week is a fun way to reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering blood pressure and reducing stress.
- Calm Your Mind – The best way to reduce risk of cardiovascular disease is to simply relax. Reduce the stress in your life through yoga, relaxation exercises, or meditation. You can also listen to music to lower the blood pressure in your body.
