Take Control: How to Be Heart Healthy

February is American Heart Month. This is a month-long effort to bring awareness to your heart health and to adopt healthy lifestyles to prevent heart disease.

The heart is a vital organ, necessary for us to function – and cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. Thankfully, there are many lifestyle habits you can embrace to manage your blood pressure and decrease your risk of heart attack, stroke and other heart diseases. This post explores a few tips we at The Moorings at Lewes have found that can help you support your heart health.

Tips to Support Your Heart Health

• Incorporate Exercise into Your Routine – It’s hard to ignore the numerous benefits of regular exercise for our bodies, and heart health is majorly affected by physical fitness. Benefits to heart health include lowered blood pressure and a stronger heart. For a focus on heart health, include aerobic activities that engage your heart for a long period of time. Whether you choose to exercise by taking structured classes, power walking or even dancing, try to engage in physical activity at least three or four times a week.
• Find Relaxing Hobbies – Cleveland Clinic finds that stress affects factors that increase risk of heart disease, including high blood pressure and cholesterol levels, irregular heart rhythms and damage to your arteries. Keeping this in mind, be sure to keep stress at a manageable level. Learning to respond to stress in a healthy way, such as practicing meditation and learning relaxation exercises, will help you relax and minimize damage to your body.
• Be Mindful of Your Diet – Healthy eating is essential to wellbeing. Although there’s no need to go on any fad diets, watching what you eat and ensuring you’re receiving the proper nutrients your body needs will greatly benefit your wellness and keep your heart healthy. Reduce your salt intake to maintain a healthy blood pressure. Fish, such as salmon, is a source of omega-3 fats, which may help protect against heart disease. And, be sure to have your five servings of fruits and vegetables a day – they’re a great source of fiber, vitamins and minerals.
• Talk to Your Doctor – Always consult your healthcare provider when it comes to health and wellness. Remember to make regular appointments to check your blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol and triglycerides, and ask for additional advice and tips to keep your heart healthy.

Learn About Heart Healthy Living at The Moorings at Lewes

At The Moorings at Lewes, we encourage holistic wellness through LivWell, our award-winning wellness program. Our comprehensive program goes above and beyond in offering activities and amenities to help you live a healthy lifestyle, touching on all seven dimensions of wellness. Here are just a few ways you’re able to take care of your heart in our community:

• Take advantage of our fully equipped fitness center, including an indoor heated pool. There are instructed fitness classes like Body Balance and Aqua Stretch, plus many other fun opportunities to get moving and exercise your heart.
• Relax – our maintenance-free lifestyle offers peace of mind, so you don’t need to worry about home repairs or lawn maintenance. You have time to participate in activities that are most important to you, like spending quiet time in our butterfly gardens or getting lost in a favorite book in our library. You now have the time to truly enjoy the lifestyle you deserve, stress-free.

Contact us today to learn more about the heart healthy activities and amenities offered at The Moorings at Lewes.