Top 10 tips for a healthy heart

There are many steps people can take to try to prevent heart disease. You can start by
concentrating on key lifestyle areas such as eating, exercise, smoking and drinking, and
considering other factors like family history, diabetes and stress. Here are 10 top tips for a
healthy heart
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#essica $ldred
Society %uardian , &riday ! September '00! 11.() *ST
1. Stop smoking. +uitting smoking is the single most important thing a person can do to live
longer. ,f you are a smoker, you are t-ice as likely to have a heart attack than a non.smoker. *ut
from the moment you stop smoking, the risk of heart attack starts to reduce. /ith public smoking
bans recently introduced, there has never been a better time to give up.
2. Cut down on salt. Too much salt can cause high blood pressure, -hich increases the risk of
developing coronary heart disease. $void foods like crisps, salted nuts, canned and packet soups
and sauces, baked beans and canned vegetables, pork pies, pi00as and ready meals. 1any
breakfast cereals and breads that appear healthy also contain high levels of salt, so keep your eye
on these too.
3. Watch your diet. $ healthy diet can help to reduce the risk of developing heart disease, and
can also help increase the chances of survival after a heart attack. You should try to have a
balanced diet, containing plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, oily fish, starchy foods such as
-holegrain bread, pasta and rice. $void foods like biscuits, cakes, pastries and dairy products
that are high in saturated fats and sugar.
4. onitor your alcohol. Too much alcohol can damage the heart muscle, increase blood
pressure and also lead to -eight gain. *inge drinking -ill increase your risk of having a heart
attack, so you should aim to limit your intake to one to t-o units a day.
!. "et acti#e.The heart is a muscle and it needs exercise to keep fit so that it can pump blood
efficiently round your body -ith each heart beat. You should aim for 20 minutes of moderate
intensity exercise a day. ,f this seems too daunting, start off gently and build up gradually.
3eeping fit not only benefits your physical health . it improves your mental health and -ellbeing
too.
$. anage your weight. The number of people -ho are over-eight in *ritain is rising fast .
already more than half of the adult population is over-eight or obese. 4arrying a lot of extra
-eight as fat can greatly affect your health and increases the risk of life.threatening conditions
such as coronary heart disease and diabetes. ,f you are over-eight or obese, start by making
small, but healthy changes to -hat you eat, and try to become more active.
%. "et your &lood pressure and cholesterol le#els checked &y your "'. The higher your
blood pressure, the shorter your life expectancy. 5eople -ith high blood pressure run a higher
risk of having a stroke or a heart attack. High levels of cholesterol in the blood . produced by the
liver from saturated fats . can lead to fatty deposits in your coronary arteries that increase your
risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, and diseases that affect the circulation. You can help lo-er
your cholesterol level by exercising and eating high.fibre foods such as porridge, beans, pulses,
lentils, nuts, fruits and vegetables.
(. )earn to manage your stress le#els. ,f you find things are getting on top of you, you may fail
to eat properly, smoke and drink too much and this may increase your risk of a heart attack.
*. Check your family history . ,f a close relative is at risk of developing coronary heart disease
from smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, lack of physical activity, obesity and
diabetes, then you could be at risk too.
10. ake sure you can recognise the early signs of coronary heart disease . Tightness or
discomfort in the chest, neck, arm or stomach -hich comes on -hen you exert yourself but goes
a-ay -ith rest may be the first sign of angina, -hich can lead to a heart attack if left untreated.
+ Health tips from the *ritish Heart &oundation
All Entries For habits of fit people
The Tough Daily Decision I Never Regret
Exercise is an important part of my life. It makes me feel good, both physically and mentally.
When I know Ive got a stressful day ahead, starting it with exercise makes me feel like Ill get
through it successfully. But that doesnt mean its easy.

Because of my schedule, mornings are almost always when I need to work out. If I dont do it
before my kids get up and the day gets going, Im much less likely to do it or, I stress about it all
day, wondering if my husband will be home on time or the kids will take a nap so that I can
exercise later on. I stress out about enough silly things throughout the day that I dont need to
add s!uee"ing in a workout to the list. #o most mornings $somewhere between %&'( and )&'(
a.m.*, youll find me exercising. Even though its a habit and Ive been doing it for a long time,
the choice is never simple. +his is kind of how it usually goes&
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9 Little Tricks that Make orking !ut A
Lot Easier
I am not a morning person, but a few times a week, I make myself a morning exerciser. It5s the
only way I5m guaranteed to fit in my runs. 6 couple weeks ago, I was too darn tired to wake up
early to run, so I decided I5d do it during the workday instead. I packed up my gym bag with my
running clothes, then scrambled around the hall closet looking for travel si"e toiletries and a
towel7 packed a change of clothes $going over my mental checklist of underwear, socks,
deodorant, oh yeah and a hairbrush*, and headed to the office with a mental plan to run and
shower during lunchtime.

I reali"ed that by the time I packed up all my stuff, I could have been well into my run8or even
finished a short workout $since /( or /% minutes of exercise is always better than none*. 6nd
even with the best intentions8and a supportive work environment that encourages exercise8I
never found the time to sneak away to run $let alone shower afterward*. Before I knew it, my day
was over, and my plans to exercise were foiled.

I en9oy exercising and make it part of my daily life8yet even I have trouble getting to it all the
time. #o I can only imagine how much harder it is for someone who doesn5t like it and isn5t !uite
in the habit. +he whole scenario got me thinking about all the little things I do that have a big
impact on my ability to stick with my exercise plans.
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"abits of Fit #eople$ Listen to %our &o'y
<ou want to be a fit person, right= +hat5s why I5m sharing my own habits for keeping fit and
staying healthy in the ongoing >abits of ?it ,eople series.
"ere(s one that )orks for *e$ Listening to *y bo'y+ It may seem counterintuitive to the @no
pain, no gain@ philosophy so that so many subscribe to, but listening to how you feel really
makes a difference in your workouts. >ow=
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"abits of Fit #eople$ ork !ut Like It(s
%our ,ob
?or most of us, work is a reality of life. Whether you love your 9ob or hate it, working for a living
is something that you know you have to do, and probably don5t have much trouble motivating
yourself to show up to each day. Wake up, get ready, arrive on time, do a decent enough 9ob to
not get fired $maybe betterB*, rinse and repeat...day after day, week after week. 6s responsible
adults, we make our careers a priority out of necessity. We work to make money, which helps
us live the lives we desire. <ou can complain about it, think it5s boring and wish you didn5t have
to do it, but ultimately, the rewards we get from working outweigh the @rewards@ of not working
$like sleeping in or having more free time*.
#o why do we treat other areas of our lives as so much less important= <ou can hate your 9ob
but still show up ;(C hours a week for decades. Even if you don5t en9oy exercise, couldn5t you
muster enough motivation to spend /( or /% minutes a day on it= 6fter all, the benefits of
exercising8weight management, stress relief, stronger bones and muscles, a healthier heart,
less depression, higher selfesteem, a sense of pride and accomplishment, a decreased risk for
countless chronic and debilitating diseases8far outweigh the temporary @rewards@ of skipping it
$more couch time or a few extra minutes of sleep*.
What would it look like if we all treated exercise like our 9obs $or at least our second 9obs*=
Doing exactly that can help you make fitness part of your life once and for all.
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"abits of Fit #eople$ -hare %our .oals
)ith !thers
<ou want to be a fit person, right= +hat5s why I5m sharing my own habits for keeping fit and
staying healthy in the ongoing >abits of ?it ,eople series.
"ere(s one that )orks for *e$ telling other people about *y goals+ +his is a techni!ue that
I5ve used for years $and still use today* when I5m not feeling motivated to exercise. #o how
should you do it8and why does it make a difference=
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"abits of Fit #eople$ #ut !n %our
orkout /lothes
<ou want to be a fit person, right= +hat5s why I5m sharing my own habits for keeping fit and
staying healthy in the ongoing >abits of ?it ,eople series.
"ere(s one that )orks for *e$ .etting 'resse' in *y )orkout clothes +his is especially
helpful on the days when I am 9ust not feeling motivated to work out.
I previously shared another similar tip& sleeping in your workout clothes. I still use that habit to
this day8especially in the fall and winter months. But I don5t always exercise in the morning,
and if you don5t either, well, that tip really isn5t going to do much for you.
6 couple nights a week, when I do not teach any fitness classes, I need to find the motivation to
work out on my own after I leave the office. +rust me, it is not always easy. Eike many of you, I
don5t always want to exercise, especially after a long day at work. #ometimes, even when I
have the best intentions, I often get distracted with other things& planning dinner, tending to the
dog, running a !uick errand, talking on the phone. #o to help me stick to my evening workouts, I
have to keep my workout on my mind8and my body. 6ll I do is take the first step& I put on my
workout clothes. -o 'oes it really *ake a 'ifference0
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"abits of Fit #eople$ -urroun' %ourself
)ith Active #eople
<ou want to be a fit person, right= +hat5s why I5m sharing my own habits for keeping fit and
staying healthy in the ongoing >abits of ?it ,eople series.
"ere(s one that )orks for *e$ surroun'ing *yself )ith other active people+
0aybe it sounds obvious, or maybe it sounds impossible, but either way, I believe that it really
does matter. 6s much as we like to think of ourselves as uni!ue individuals, able to make our
own decisions, able to resist the influence of others, it turns out that we are actually very similar
to our friends, neighbors, family members, coworkers, and ac!uaintances. Whatever is the
norm in your social group, usually becomes the norm for you, too.
+his isn5t 9ust my opinion. 4esearch supports the idea, too8that obesity is @contagious@ and that
when we eat with other people, their food choices affect us8how much we eat, what we eat,
and how we feel about it. We are always making decisions based on other people5s thoughts,
actions and habits, which is why it5s so important to surround yourself with people whose values
and habits support your healthy lifestyle.
,osted /(-.(-.(/( %&((&(( 60 By& :icole :ichols & AA comments /%,/'2 views
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"abits of Fit #eople$ Turn !ff the T1
<ou want to be a fit person, right= +hat5s why I5m sharing my own habits for keeping fit and
staying healthy in the ongoing >abits of ?it ,eople series.
"ere(s one that )orks for *e$ turning off the T1+
#ounds simple enough, but most people I talk to aren5t willing to give up the guilty pleasure of
their favorite shows. I get it& +F is an ideal downtime, a mental and physical respite that we
welcome at the end of a hard day5s work. But besides freeing up boatloads of time that you
didn5t know you even had, there are plenty of other ways turning off the tube can help you get
fitter and healthier.
Even for me, a person who en9oys exercise $most of the time anyway*, exercising regularly and
consistently is no small feat. It takes time, commitment, and organi"ation. It involves making
some tough choices, like waking up earlier than I5d like to or not following 0cDreamy and
0c#teamy5s latest adventures $sad, I know*. If staying fit were easy, we5d all be fit people. But in
truth, the most common excuse we use for not exercising is lack of time. Where does all of our
time go= We have 9obs-school, social lives, and countless commitments, but many fit people
maintain all of those same obligations and still make time for exercise. I have an idea for how
they do it, because this techni!ue works for me, too& +hey limit how much +F they watch.
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"abits of Fit #eople$ Don(t Make
E2ercise E2cuses
<ou want to be a fit person, right= +hat5s why I5m sharing my own habits for keeping fit and
staying healthy in the ongoing >abits of ?it ,eople series.
"ere(s one that )orks for *e$ not *aking e2ercise e2cuses+
+he difference between fit people and unfit ones isn5t a matter of intention8it5s about
consistency. We all have the best intentions to work out, but fit people will find a way to exercise
no matter what life throws at them. +hey are committed to following their fitness plan day in and
day out, even when long work hours, childcare, holidays, travel, and other unforeseen
circumstances throw a wrench into their plans. +hey don5t confuse @being busy@ with being
active. ?it people plan their workouts, maintain a backup plan, and even commit to a shorter
workout if that5s all that time allows. ,ut simply, they don5t make exercise excuses. -o ho) can
you be *ore like the*0
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"abits of Fit #eople$ -et a Fun Fitness
.oal
<ou want to be a fit person, right= +hat5s why I5m sharing my own habits for keeping fit and
staying healthy in the ongoing >abits of ?it ,eople series.
"ere(s one that )orks for *e$ -hooting for a fun fitness goal+ #o why does something like
this matter=
#ure, exercise itself can be fun, especially when you really en9oy doing something so much that
it doesn5t even seem like a workout $for me, that5s tennis*. But to keep at it day after day, week
after week, year after yearGyou see where I5m going here. Hver time, what was once fun can
seem monotonous and your motivation to exercise can drop faster than a skydiving elephantB
6ll of this changes when you set a fun fitness goal. I5m not talking about @exercise % times a
week@ either. #et a goal that inspires you to train so that you can reach it. +his way, your desire
to reach your fun fitness goal will motivate you to keep exercising consistently. #o what kind of
fitness goal is fun and motivating enough to help you stick with a workout routine=
,osted /.-;-.((2 .&%;&(. ,0 By& :icole :ichols & /3( comments ./,.;( views
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"abits of Fit #eople$ -leep in %our
orkout /lothes
<ou want to be a fit person, right= +hat5s why I5m sharing my own habits for keeping fit and
staying healthy in the ongoing >abits of ?it ,eople series.
"ere(s one that )orks for *e$ -leeping in *y )orkout clothes+ +his is especially helpful this
time of year, when it5s darker and colder when I wake up to run in the morning.
I may not be a morning person, but I5m working on it. +wo or three times a week, I like to run in
the morning because I love getting it out of the way and having my evenings free. +hat5s not so
difficult in the spring or summer, when the sunlight wakes me up and the temperature is inviting.
But during the fall and winter= ?orget about itB Dark, dreary and cold mornings make want to
stay in bed as long as possible. #o to stick with my morning runs, I have to keep my workout on
my mind8and my body8the night before. -o 'oes it really *ake a 'ifference0
,osted /(-.'-.((2 /(&;;&/' 60 By& :icole :ichols & ;(% comments ;(,%'% views
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"abits of Fit #eople$ Leave %our .ear at
the .y*
<ou want to be a fit person, right= +hat5s why I5m sharing my own habits for keeping fit and
staying healthy in the ongoing >abits of ?it ,eople series.
"ere(s one that )orks for *e$ Leaving *y fitness gear in the gy* locker roo*+ I don5t
mean paying extra for a locker where you can stash your stuff overnight. I mean leaving it at the
gym so that you have to return to get it8and therefore work out. #o why does something like
this matter=
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"abits of Fit #eople$ A'' Activity3Not
,ust E2ercise3to %our Days
<ou want to be a fit person, right= +hat5s why I5m sharing my own habits for keeping fit and
staying healthy in the ongoing >abits of ?it ,eople series.
"ere(s one that )orks for *e$ A''ing *ore activity to *y 'ays+ I5m not talking about
exercise or planned workouts, either. <ou might not think about it often, but there5s a lot more to
a fit lifestyle than the time you spend in the gym. #o why does something like this matter=
,osted 3-'-.((2 %&.2&/A 60 By& :icole :ichols & /(2 comments '(,.2A views
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"abits of Fit #eople$ 4eep Fitness
E5uip*ent at "o*e
<ou want to be a fit person, right= +hat5s why I5m sharing my own habits for keeping fit and
staying healthy in the ongoing >abits of ?it ,eople series.
"ere(s one that )orks for *e$ 4eeping e2ercise e5uip*ent aroun' the house+ #o why
does something like this matter=
,osted )-/2-.((2 %&%(&/A 60 By& :icole :ichols & /;( comments 3,.)2 views
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"abits of Fit #eople$ Mi2 It 6p7
<ou want to be a fit person, right= :ow that I5ve made fitness a habit in my life, I5m sharing my
own secrets to keeping fit and staying healthy in the ongoing >abits of ?it ,eople series.
"ere(s one that )orks for *e$ Mi2ing up your )orkout routine+ #o why does something like
this matter=