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Adopting healthy habits for heart health can be important to maintain heart over the life span. Five key factors of a heart-healthy lifestyle. They are healthy eating, rest, stress management, exercise, and avoiding tobacco products. As well as controlling important health numbers, like blood pressure and cholesterol. These lifestyles can balance each other to help minimize cardiac risk and promote overall health.
Good heart health isn’t just a matter of preventing heart disease. It also includes the maintenance of health of blood vessels, normal blood flow and control of factors which may cause changes to the cardiovascular system over time.
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This article is part of
Healthy Habits Hub
Why Heart-Healthy Habits Matter
The heart circulates blood around the body to deliver oxygen and nutrients to the organs and tissues. It is possible to have several risk issues that can be accomplished with lifestyle alterations and good medical care, and circulatory disease can develop slowly.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention list high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, high cholesterol, physical inactivity smoking, and an unhealthy diet as major heart disease risk factors.
Healthy habits can play a part in some of these factors. But family history, age, genetics and preexisting medical conditions also play a role in cardiovascular risk.
The aim is to establish sustainable behaviour, not extreme short-term changes.
Heart-Healthy Eating
A heart-healthy eating pattern emphasizes eating a wide array of nutrient rich foods.
Here are some good options to consider:
- Vegetables and fruits
- Whole grains
- Pulses, beans, and peas
- Nuts and seeds
- Fish and seafood
- Lean sources of protein
- Milk or milk alternatives (low fat or fat free)
- Unsaturated vegetable oils
It can also help to cut down on foods that are high in saturated fat, salt and added sugars.
For instance, portions of food can be planned around vegetables, whole grains, beans, fish, poultry or other lean protein foods instead of servings of fried foods, processed meats and highly salted packaged foods.
The amount of servings is also important since it is possible that consuming more calories than one’s body requires can lead to weight gain.
No one diet is ideal for everyone to remain healthy. However, dietary requirements can vary with age status, health, culture, availability of food and individual taste.
Regular Physical Activity
Exercise is beneficial for overall cardiovascular health and may also lower blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, weight, trouble sleeping and improve mood.
The CDC suggests at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week for adults, or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise per week, plus two or more days per week of muscle-strengthening exercise.
Moderate activities can be:
- Brisk walking
- Cycling
- Swimming
- Dancing
- Recreational activities
- Some forms of active at the home of work
It doesn’t matter if you are currently inactive if you have to begin with long workouts. Short breaks of movement can be a good starting point. Fitness can gradually progress to increase activity.
For some medical conditions or concerns about exercise, people should consult their health care professional for a recommendation on their activity level.
Maintaining a Healthy Weight
A healthy weight is important for cardiovascular health. Having more body fat than is normal, especially when combined with other metabolic risk factors, may make someone more likely to develop problems like high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and abnormal cholesterol.
The key to healthy weight management is to build up long-term habits instead of crash diets.
Helpful strategies include:
- Eating balanced meals
- Choosing nutrient-dense foods
- Being physically active
- Getting adequate sleep
- Reducing overconsumption of added sugar
- Eating mindfully
- Making gradual changes
Cardiovascular health is more than just body weight. Other factors such as a person’s overall health, waist circumference, blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, family history can also play a role.
For weight management, which can be a challenge, or if someone has a medical condition, having individual advice from a GP or RDI may be helpful.
Managing Stress
Stress is a normal response to challenging situations. It is not the same as chronic or continuous stress, which can negatively impact sleep, nutrition, physical activity and other lifestyle habits associated with health.
Stress can be managed in healthy ways, such as:
- Regular physical activity
- Being around positive individuals
- Practicing relaxation techniques
- Keeping a steady sleep-wake cycle.
- Resting from challenging activities
- Spending time outdoors
- Consultation with a mental health professional (as necessary)
Stress Management is not the removal of all stress. Rather it is about cultivating positive attitudes toward adversity.
When stress is too much or is starting to affect daily functioning, there may be a need for professional assistance.
Getting Enough Sleep
Sleep is essential to the health of the cardiovascular system. Adults require at least 7 hours of sleep per night but it varies from person to person.
An unhealthy sleep pattern may be linked to some cardiovascular risk factors, such as unhealthy weight patterns and high blood pressure.
To promote a better sleep:
- Have a regular sleep routine and wake time.
- Create a relaxing nighttime routine.
- Maintain a pleasant and quiet bedroom.
- Limit exposure to stimulating activity prior to sleep.
- Limit caffeine late in the day.
- Keep active as much as possible during the day.
If insomnia is ongoing, loud snoring, breathing stops during sleep or there is excessive daytime sleepiness, this should be discussed with a health care professional as these may indicate a sleep disorder that can impact health.
Avoiding Tobacco
Quitting will be one of the biggest lifestyle changes in the improvement of heart health.
Smoking harms the blood vessels and can contribute to coronary heart disease, stroke and other serious diseases. Second hand smoke can also have an impact on cardiovascular health.
Whether someone has smoked for a long or short time, quitting smoking can help them. Over time, quitting can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Smoking can be addictive, making it hard to quit. Healthcare providers can offer evidence-based support, and some individuals may benefit from counseling, behavioral strategies, or from using an evidence-based smoking cessation intervention.
If not smoking people should NOT start and they should limit their exposure to secondhand smoke as much as possible.
Limiting Alcohol
Drinking alcohol can have an impact on healthy heart and overall health. Drinking less can reduce exposure to alcohol-related health risks.
Current U.S. dietary recommendations focus on the health benefits of consuming less alcohol in one’s diet, and the avoidance of alcohol consumption for potential health benefits.
Alcohol has also been known to interact with some medications and could pose a special risk to individuals with some health problems.
Talk to a doctor if you’re not sure about drinking alcohol if you’re on medication or have a medical condition.
If you have a medical condition, discuss it with a healthcare professional.
Managing Blood Pressure and Cholesterol
Blood pressure and cholesterol are important cardiovascular health measurements.
It’s important to check to see that high blood pressure does not show any symptoms. Uncontrolled high blood pressure can cause damage to blood vessels over time, and is a risk factor for heart attack and stroke.
Plaque buildup in the arteries can also be caused by elevated blood levels of some lipids, such as low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol.
Although lifestyle changes can help, these numbers may not always be controlled. For a select few, certain cardiovascular risk factors may require prescription medication.
A healthcare professional may recommend:
| Health Factor | What May Help |
| Blood pressure | Physical activity, healthy eating, weight management, less sodium, medication when prescribed |
| LDL cholesterol | Heart-healthy diet, physical activity, weight management, medication when appropriate |
| Blood sugar | Balanced eating, activity, weight management, medical treatment when needed |
| Tobacco exposure | Avoiding tobacco and secondhand smoke |
| Alcohol | Drinking less or avoiding alcohol |
Never discontinue or alter blood pressure or cholesterol drugs on your own without consulting your health care provider.
Regular Health Checkups
Cardiovascular risk factors may be discovered before they become apparent by regular visits to health professionals.
A health care provider will examine:
- Blood pressure
- Cholesterol
- Blood glucose
- Measuring Body and Weights
- Smoking and exposure to tobacco smoke
- Physical activity
- Diet
- Family history
Other factors that affect health:
Not all people will have the same screening schedule. Your health care provider will know which tests to order based on your age, medical history, risk factors and previous tests.
Call for immediate medical help if you believe you are experiencing symptoms of a heart attack or stroke including: severe pain or pressure in the chest, extreme difficulty breathing, weakness or numbness in one side, sudden confusion or difficulty speaking.
Conclusion
Making a lifestyle alteration to promote a healthy heart takes repetition in the everyday selections you make. Adapting lifestyle by eating foods that are rich in nutrients, being physically active, managing weight,getting a good night’s sleep, avoiding tobacco or alcohol, and monitoring and maintaining blood pressure and cholesterol levels can all aid to promote cardiovascular health.
Simple actions can have a important impact when repeated often. Periodic physical examinations may also notice conditions that pose risks which may need further evaluation or treatment. With the support of a health care professional, you can grow a heart-health plan that suits your own health history and other factors.
Sameena Begum
Sameena Begum reviews content for clarity, accuracy and reader usefulness. Her review process helps ensure that published information is clearly presented, relevant and easy for readers to understand.
Syeda Yasmeen
Syeda Yasmeen is a Health & Wellness Writer at InHumanBeing.com. She creates clear and reader-focused content across health, nutrition, wellness, women’s health, men’s health and babies’ health.
