Health & Fitness Blog
20 Feb 2024
Healthy Hearts
February is Heart Month 2024 and keeping your heart healthy is a great way to feel your best and boost
your overall health. It can make you feel less tired and reduce your risk of illnesses, a stroke, or a heart
attack.
Here are our three top tips for keeping your heart healthy:
1. Get Active
Aerobic exercise is the best type of exercise you can do to increase your heart health! This is any type of
exercise that uses your body’s large muscle groups, such as running, walking, swimming, cycling, playing
sport or even gardening. Aerobic exercise lowers your blood pressure, and heart rate, meaning your
heart is working more efficiently, helping you feel more energetic (and you should find exercise easier!).
Doctors recommend a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic exercise per week. This
may seem unmanageable, but it works out to roughly 20 minutes per day! If you are new to exercise
start with a manageable 5-10 minutes per day and build it up gradually. And remember, it could be
anything… don’t forget to change it up and try something new – why don’t you try a group fitness class
at LivingWell? Find out more here.
2. Healthy Eating
Eating a healthy, balanced diet can help reduce your risk of coronary heart disease and if you already
have a heart condition, a healthy diet can also benefit your heart. The British Heart Foundation
recommends a balanced diet, rather than completely cutting out all your favourite foods! However, the
best things to consider are, eating more fruits and vegetables and choosing low fat dairy products. This
makes sure your body is still getting the necessary vitamins and minerals it needs. Getting nutrients
from a mixture of different foods can also improve your memory, concentration and even reduce
symptoms of depression and anxiety. This, combined with aerobic exercise can help to keep your heart
healthy. Click here to learn about the best way to balance your plate, recommended by the British Heart
Foundation
3. Improved Sleep Quality
Our final tip for improving your heart health is to improve your sleep quality!
Insufficient or fragmented sleep can contribute to problems with blood pressure and heighten the risk
of heart disease. Although we know it is easier said than done, the best ways to maximise your sleep
include: having a technology free bedtime, making sure the environment is restful and ensure you’re not
eating a big meal or drinking caffeinated drinks too late in the day. For more tips on how to improve
your sleep quality, see here.
