Healthy RGV Issue 111- It's in Your Blood, What You Should Know About Hematology and Blood Disorders

HEALTHY LIFESTYLE · FEBRUARY 2018
Healthy
Heart Habits
Heart disease is the number one cause
of death in the United States. It knows
no age, no race, no color, no creed. It's
indiscriminate in how it affects people.
With the statistics as they are, how do you reduce
your chances of suffering from cardiovascular
disease? The answer is you do everything within your
power to ward off this deadly disease and to ensure
you get to live a long, happy life.
There are seven important behaviors you must
adapt to help reduce your risk of suffering from
heart disease. None are too time-consuming. Each
is worth the little effort you have to put in it. The
goal is small changes. They can mean the difference
between living a full, healthy, active life or suffering
unnecessarily from something that was almost
entirely preventable.
If you're ready to get a jumpstart on your heart
health or want to reverse some of the damage you
may have already inflicted, follow these seven supersimple
tips:
Get regular exercise.
That's a mantra we've all
heard before, but never
have the benefits of
moderate exercise a few
times per week ever been
so essential than when it
comes to keeping your heart strong. Regular exercise
enhances the cardiorespiratory system in your body.
It helps it to maintain its function without having to
strain itself. It increases the good cholesterol in your
system, which is the only kind of cholesterol you
want to promote in your body. It lowers triglycerides
that circulate in the blood. Exercise also helps to
reduce blood pressure and your heart rate. Yes, that
sounds like a bit of an oxymoron, but the idea here
is to increase your heart-rate to optimal levels for
you, then, decrease at a pace that isn't jarring to your
system. If your heart is always ramped up (above
the range recommended for your age, weight, and
sex), you're running the risk of taxing the heart
muscle; thus, creating an environment for major
heart damage. The goal is to aim for 150 or moderate
exercise a week. No excuses.
24 HEALTHY MAGAZINE