February is American Heart Month, making it the perfect time to start making small changes to protect your heart. Learn more about the signs and symptoms of heart disease, risk factors and what you can do to help protect your heart. Heart disease and stroke kill about 2,300 people a day, and knowing what you can do to help prevent heart disease by adopting a heart healthy lifestyle.
Heart disease is preventable in most cases with healthy choices, which include not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, controlling blood sugar and cholesterol, treating high blood pressure, getting at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a week and getting regular checkups.
Here’s how you can start taking care of your heart this February:
Quit using tobacco. Smoking is a major risk factor for heart disease. Use free tools from the internet to search for tips and goal setting techniques to help you quit.
Choose heart-healthy foods. Eat more fruits and veggies on a daily basis, limit your salt intake, choose foods that are low in saturated fat, and eat smaller portions for weight management.
Exercise more. Working fitness into our lives is imperative. Getting your heart pumping is a really important and effective way to help keep it healthy and strong. Experts advise getting 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week. Increasing your physical activity will benefit your heart. Find creative ways to get moving and have fun.
Get to know your body. Learn about your personal risk factors for heart disease. Discuss your family and personal history with your doctor and look into health screenings that may be available. There are some risk factors that you can’t control but there are many that you can.
Research the signs and symptoms of heart disease, risk factors, and the many heart-healthy choices you can make on the website for the American Heart Association.