5 Tips For Lowering Your Heart Disease Risk

Heart disease is a common health problem among both men and women. While heart disease is sometimes hereditary, a lot of times it's caused by poor lifestyle choices. If you make an effort to take good care of your health, you may be less likely to develop this health disease in the future. Here are five helpful tips for lowering your heart disease risk:

Do Aerobic Exercises

Aerobic exercise can strengthen the heart, so you should incorporate it into your routine. The American Heart Association recommends exercising moderately for 150 minutes a week. There are many types of aerobic exercises you can do, including walking, jogging, biking and swimming. 

Change Your Diet

What you eat can dramatically affect the health of your heart. Try to include more heart-healthy foods in your diet, including vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts and whole grains. If you eat meat, choose lean cuts of poultry, fish and beef. It's wise to limit saturated fats from your diet as much as possible as they can harm your heart.

Learn How to Manage Stress

Stress is something most people have to deal with every once in a while. However, if you allow your stress levels to get too high, it can be bad for your heart. If you learn to manage your stress, you can prevent it from getting out of control. For example, you may consider starting out each day with a relaxing activity, like meditation or yoga. 

Watch How Much Alcohol You Consume

Enjoying an alcoholic beverage on occasion is perfectly fine and likely won't have a negative affect on your health. However, if you drink too frequently, it can raise your blood pressure and increase your risk of heart disease. To protect your heart, keep your alcohol consumption to a minimum.

Get Enough Rest

Getting enough sleep at night is more important than you may think. If you don't get adequate rest, you may be more likely to develop heart disease and other chronic disease. Aim to get eight hours of sleep every night. To make it easier to fall asleep, avoid drinking caffeine in the evening and turn of electronic devices at least an hour before bedtime.

Taking these steps to improve your health can reduce your risk of heart disease. However, it's still important to visit your doctor every year for a checkup, especially if you have a family history of heart disease. The more proactive you are about heart care service, the healthier you're likely to stay.


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