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Heart Healthy Habits to Kickstart American Heart Month
Nutrition, Exercise, and Stress Management
February is American Heart Month which makes it the perfect time to focus on hear-healthy habits. To help share some practical tips, we teamed up with our Cardiac Rehabilitation RN, Mary Mesner, who offers some helpful guidance on maintaining and improving ones heart health.
What is Cardiac Rehabilitation?
Cardiac rehabilitation is a medically supervised program that was designed to improve your cardiovascular health specifically for those recovering from heart related issues like heart attacks and heart surgery. While going through a Cardiac Rehab Program, patients will gain knowledge on ways to improve your heart health through nutrition, exercise, and stress management. These three key areas play a major role in a person’s overall well-being.
Below are some quick tips in each of these areas to help support a healthy heart.
Nutrition and Heart Health:
A heart-healthy diet is all about variety and balance. Make sure to focus on:
- Fruits and vegetables
- Whole grains and high fiber foods
- Lean proteins
- Limited processed foods
- Reduced intake of sodium and added sugars.
If you need help understanding portion sizes or making healthier food choices, the MyPlate resource is a great place to start: https://www.myplate.gov/
Here’s a few additional tips:
- Limit your alcohol intake. Alcohol may not be the best, healthiest choice for everyone. If you do drink, limit intake to an average of 1-2 servings per day.
- Cut back on sodium. If you love salty flavors, try using herbs, spices, and salt-free seasoning blends to enhance the flavor without overloading on sodium.
Use Exercise to Support Heart Health:
Regular physical activity provides many benefits, including improved mood, better sleep, and increased energy in your every day life. Over time, consistent exercise routines can also strengthen the heart, tone your muscles, and reduce the risk of certain chronic diseases.
General exercise recommendations for healthy adults include:
- 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity a week (about 30 minutes per day, 5 days a week)
- Two days of muscle-strengthening activities per week.
If you’re new to exercising or recovering from a health concern, start slowly and build up over time to allow your body, and heart, to adjust.
To make exercise more manageable:
- Choose activities that you actually enjoy.
- Take movement breaks throughout the day to reduce prolonged sitting
Stress and your Heart:
Chronic stress can have a negative impact on heart health, whether you notice it right away or not. Start by identifying potential sources of stress within your life, such as:
- Work or financial pressures
- Health concerns
- Relationship challenges- could be with your significant other, friends, or family
Some stressors may be unavoidable, but other can be managed or reduced. Focus on what you can control and take small steps to address the stress.
Ways to calm yourself if you’re noticing you’re stressed:
- Walk away for a few minutes
- Talk to someone you trust about what’s bothering you
- Practice slow counting or deep breathing exercises
To support a less stressful lifestyle overall:
- Avoid overscheduling yourself
- Learn to say no when needed
- Find relaxing hobbies such as reading, coloring, or listening to podcasts
- Prioritize good sleep habits
If you have had a recent heart event and your provider recommends your join a Cardiac Rehab Program, reach out (or have your provider send a referral) to us at Murray County Medical Center. Our program gives patients the opportunity to continue their heart health journey with expert guidance right here in our community.
Learn more about our program here: Phase II Cardiac Rehabilitation
This American Heart Month, let’s all aim to take steps to improve our heart health!
Written by Briana Solheim (Marketing Director) | Medical Expertise Provided by Mary Mesner (RN - Cardiac Rehab)