Keep It Beating

This years theme for Heart Health Week is "Keep It Beating." Here are a few strategies to help keep your heart healthy.

First, don't smoke or use tobacco. "Smoking or using tobacco is one of the most significant risk factors for developing heart disease" (Mayo Clinic Staff). Any amount of smoking is considered unhealthy and many of the chemicals in cigarettes cause damage to the heart and blood vessels which leads to chances of a possible heart attack. 

Second, exercise for 30 minutes on most days of the week. "Getting some regular, daily exercise can reduce your risk of fatal heart disease" (Mayo Clinic Staff). If you have not worked out in a while don't stress, you can start today. Some activities that you can do for exercise include walking in the park, weight lifting, biking, hiking, snow shoeing, taking the stairs rather than the elevator at work, or playing sports with friends. Make exercise a priority in your life. Exercising is also a great way to reduce stress which is another cause of heart disease.

Third, eat a heart-healthy diet. Be sure to add plenty of fruits and vegetables to your meals.  Most of the time people aren't getting the fruits and vegetables that they need in their meals.  Fruits and vegetables are a great way to keep your heart healthy and they can prevent some forms of cancer. Another great suggestion is to go to our Health and Wellness Services page and look at some of our recipes so that you can have a more balanced diet.  Go to www.slcc.edu/hw and click on the "Healthy Choices Cookbook" link under Downloads.  This is a great way to balance out your diet and get the essential food groups needed to be healthy and active.