According to research published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, even though only 1 percent of the population is following all these healthy lifestyles, there are five things men can do now to improve their heart health and reduce their risk of heart attack. . practices.
The list itself isn’t all that surprising: ditch the cigarettes, moderate alcohol consumption, exercise daily, eat a healthy diet, and keep belly weight in check, but what’s surprising is how much these factors can influence your risk for heart problems. During the eleven-year investigation, researchers discovered these five facts:
- Men who didn’t smoke reduced their risk by 36 percent
- Those who drank two or fewer alcoholic drinks per day had a reduced risk of 11 percent
- Men who walked or cycled for 40 minutes or more every day, plus at least 1 hour of other exercise per week, had a 3 percent lower risk
- Those who ate a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, low-fat dairy products, whole grains and fish showed a reduced risk of 18 percent
- Men with a waist circumference of less than 37 inches reduced their risk by
12 percent
For the men who followed all five practices, this amounts to a whopping 80 percent lower risk of a heart attack!
And if you think women aren’t that affected by these lifestyle practices, think again: countless studies have linked these same practices heart disease in women. In fact, a study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that of the four most common risk factors for heart disease: high BMI, smoking, high blood pressure and physical inactivity, the latter appeared to be the biggest risk factor in women. over 30 years of age, and the researchers estimate that if every woman did about 150 minutes of exercise every week, more than 2,000 lives could be saved every year in Australia alone. Want to move your body toward better heart health? Try these ideas to get some inspiration and motivation.
//Download an app. It’s rare that we’re separated from our tech gadgets, so why wouldn’t we want to stay connected to our health too? Interactive mobile health programs, many of which are free to use, give you the space to record and monitor your health data, and some even offer advice, support and reminders. For example, Text2Quit users can text to receive tips on quitting smoking, or wait all day to receive their personalized text messages. It’s a useful distraction for smokers trying to kick the habit, and a study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that Text2Quit users were about twice as likely to quit as those who only read a brochure received by post or used online self-help. materials. Another app we like, Nudge, acts as social media for the health conscious. Users can compare their health and fitness scores with other Nudge users and social network friends, no matter which app, tracker or wearable device they use. It syncs with other apps like MapMyFitness, Moves, and Fitbit to provide one score that combines diet, exercise, and fitness input to measure how healthily you’re living. Users gain better insight into their health by recording daily activities such as fruit and vegetable intake, exercise and sleep.
//Drink and eat with attention. Remember to eat before drinking alcohol. The fuller you are from food, the less tempted you will be to drink beer and cocktails. The food also helps absorb some of the alcohol, so you can still make sober decisions about your eating and drinking habits. It also helps to alternate between water and an alcoholic drink. When it comes to dietary decisions, choose wisely and focus on the foods mentioned above, but don’t be afraid to indulge every now and then. It’s better to drink a stiff beer or a chocolate chip cookie than down six light beers or mindlessly chew through an entire bag of pretzels.
//Make a plan. Plan your meals, workouts, and extracurricular activities so you don’t miss any of the things you want to do each week. To free up space in your schedule, shop ahead of time and purposefully cook enough to have leftovers. Try to exercise in the morning so that you don’t have to go to the gym after work. Get into a routine and stick to it, even on days when it seems easier to skip your run, sneak a cigarette, or enjoy brownies for dinner. Over time, your healthy habits will improve your heart health and feel like a natural part of your day.