Consider adopting these lifestyle tips to live a heart healthy life.
Exercise
- Lack of exercise is a proven risk factor for heart disease.
- Heart disease is twice as likely to develop in inactive people as in those who are more active.
- Only one in four women gets the recommended 30 minutes of exercise at least 5 times a week
- One half of women over 65 get no exercise at all!
- Physically active women have a 60% to 75% lower risk of cardiovascular disease than inactive women
- Physical activity helps maintain weight, blood pressure, and diabetes – all risk factors for heart disease.
- A woman should exercise at her target heart rate for 20-30 minutes a day 5 times per week.
- One of the easiest ways to begin exercising is walking. So walk whenever you can!
Follow a Heart Healthy Diet
- Make sure to eat plenty of colorful fruits and vegetables and whole grains every day.
- Try olive oil. It’s a healthy source of fat calories.
- Avoid trans-fats. They’re commonly found in partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
- Fish contain Omega 3 fatty acids. Our bodies do not produce Omega 3’s – they can only be obtained from food. Great sources include albacore tuna, salmon, trout, and anchovies
- Fiber helps block the body from absorbing fat and cholesterol from food. Oatmeal is a quick and easy source.
Get Help to Quit Smoking!
Smoking causes 150% more deaths from heart disease than lung cancer in women. Women who smoke are 2-6 times more likely to suffer a heart attack. And smoking increases the risk of stroke.
