If you want your heart to be healthy for the rest of your life, follow this prescription:
3. Keep your heart clean and drug-free.
People who don't follow this prescription often develop some form of heart disease.
Be heart smart and have a healthy heart
Get
PLENTY of exercise~!
The hardest part of an exercise routine is getting started. Once you've
established a regular pattern of exercise, you'll find yourself following
it. So, how do you get started? Well, first of all, consult your doctor.
Your doctor can recommend the specific kinds of exercise for your own individual
needs. Generally, however, these guidelines should get you going.
First of all, exercise will only become a habit if it's fun! Pick something you will enjoy doing. If you like being with a group of people, try a team sport like basketball or soccer. You don't have to be a super athlete. Anyone can exercise. Social activities like dancing and mall-walking are also good. If you're more of a loner, try bicycling or swimming.
Don't kid yourself. Be honest about what you realistically think you can do. If you have always hated to climb stairs, step aerobics probably isn't for you. Maybe a walk around the neighborhood would be more pleasant. Many people today are walking toward fitness.
Consider your current state of physical fitness. If you haven't exercised in years, you'll definitely want to start with some modest activities. As you get adjusted, you can increase your activity.
Consider your schedule. Are you a morning
person? Then plan to exercise in the morning. If you're addicted to your
snooze button, plan to exercise in the evening. Start with just a small
block of time, maybe fifteen minutes. As you get into your routine, you
probably won't mind increasing to twenty, and then thirty, minutes. In
order to be effective, you'll need to repeat your exercise routine 3 or
4 times per week.
If you want to have a healthy heart, you have to learn how to eat a healthy heart diet. All of the food you eat effects the health of your heart. Learn which foods are heart smart and try to include them as a regular part of your diet.
Consult your doctor for an eating
plan that best suits your dietary needs. If you are of average health,
you can probably follow the Food Pyramid
eating plan.
(Click on the food pyramid for
for information .)
Keep your heart clean and drugs free !
The human heart's job is to pump nutrient-rich blood throughout your body. If you smoke, take drugs, or drink alcohol excessively, you are giving your heart extra work. How do you feel when you have too much work to do? Your heart cannot handle too much extra work over a long period of time. Over time, the health of your heart will suffer.
Scientists have proven that smoking doubles your risk of having a heart attack and doubles, triples, or quadruples your risk of sudden cardiac death. Each year, over 300,000 Americans die of smoking-related heart disease. So, don't smoke. If you do, quit. The sooner you quit, the sooner your risk will start to decline. There is hope. Former smokers can completely lower their risk of sudden cardiac death within ten years of quitting.
Because they are foreign substances, any drug can effect your heart. Even prescribed medications can. However, since prescribed medications are legal, doctors are able to control the effect a drug will have on your heart by controlling the dosage. With illegal drugs (cocaine, heroin, marijuana, amphetamines, etc.), YOU have to control the effect on your heart. Can you do that? Only if you don't take any. Even a small amount of a drug can be potentially fatal. So, don't use illegal drugs. If you do, quit.
While drinking alcohol in moderation may not pose a risk, drinking excessively
does pose a serious hazard to your heart. While alcohol flows in your blood
stream, the nutrient-rich blood is less able to nourish the heart. If the
alcohol content is excessive, your heart will be in danger. So, don't drink
alcohol excessively. If you do, quit.
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