One of the easiest ways to ensure that you live and long and happy life is to look after your heart. Heart and circulatory diseases, after all, are a leading cause of death globally. The irony is that it is true what people say that diet, exercise, relaxation, and regulation of your blood pressure literally can add years to your lifespan. Here are four ways that someone can look after their cardiovascular health.
1. Diet
The most important rule of thumb for improving cardiovascular health through diet is to avoid foods rich in cholesterol, as high cholesterol clogs the arteries and makes it more difficult for the heart to pump blood around the body. Other important factors you need to look for are foods rich in beta-carotene, potassium, magnesium, and fiber, as these provide some of the best possible nutrients that your heart needs to function and which you can find in most forms of fruit. A good intake of carbohydrates will also give you the energy necessary to keep up with your exercise regimen, which you will find in starchy, staple foods like bread, rice, and pasta; just remember to be careful if you are celiac. What you do not put into your body is just as important, which means keeping alcohol and foods rich in excess sugar and saturated fats down to a minimum and, ideally, cutting smoking out completely.
2. Exercise
They call it cardio for a reason. This exercise is designed to drain and push your heart to its limits. This is because the more lactic acid you build in your muscles, the faster your heart needs to pump to continue to supply oxygenated blood throughout your body to support cell respiration. Ironically, the total quantity of exercise is not necessarily as important as its intensity, which is why interval training is very useful. It gives your heart the chance to rest between workouts while maintaining the level of activity needed to keep it functioning healthily. Just remember to not push yourself so hard that you raise your blood pressure beyond what is safe.
3. Monitoring
If blood pressure is too high, then this can increase the risk of serious problems developing, even leading to extreme consequences, such as stroke or heart attack. Remarkably, this is something that around a third of adults have, many without even realizing it, as hypertension is often devoid of measurable symptoms. The only reliable way to tell if a patient’s blood pressure is too high is to have this regularly checked with a blood pressure monitor. However, because the monitoring process in many people may be a 24-hour, round-the-clock process, this may require some health care providers to look at blood pressure monitors for sale either online or at their local pharmacy or health clinic.
4. Look After Your Mind
Physical fitness goes hand in hand with mental fitness also. Chronic and acute stress and neurological disorders like generalized anxiety and PTSD all play a role in cardiovascular health, especially where blood pressure is concerned. Good management of these, whether that be through meditation, mindfulness, psychotherapy, or creative or intellectual pursuits, are useful ways of maintaining stable blood pressure; remember that a healthy body is best controlled by a healthy mind.
When to See your Doctor
High blood pressure is generally regarded as being in the 140/90mmHg range or higher, whereas normal blood pressure is considered to be between 90/60mmHg and 120/80mmHg. Low blood pressure, which is generally below 90/60mmHg, by contrast, may also present secondary risks by causing dizziness, blurred vision, confusion, or even fainting, which could also be extremely dangerous when, for example, operating heavy machinery or driving. It goes without saying, therefore, that if you are observing signs, symptoms, and blood pressure readings well outside what is normal for you, absent other factors, then you should definitely speak to your doctor.
