Wise Ways to Keep Your Heart a Lot Happier
By Sandy Schroeder
Everybody wants a healthy heart, but the daily pace sometimes crowds out simple things that we could be doing for the heart.
BeWell.com reminds us of a few simple steps to help the heart thrive.
Exercise daily – Check with your doctor first for the best routines then work on getting the heart rate up for 30 minutes a day to lower blood pressure, increase blood flow, improve good cholesterol and activate circulation. You will probably also enjoy a more toned body, weight loss and better sleep.
Use good dental hygiene – Researchers say regular brushing, flossing and professional dental checkups will go a long way to help prevent gum disease that may trigger heart inflammation if oral bacteria gets into the bloodstream.
Stand whenever you can – Counteract long periods of sitting by considering an alternate raised workstation that allows you to stand while you work. Also consider standing or walking meetings and discussions, and setting an alarm to get up every hour to walk or stretch.
Meditate your way out of stress – Learn how to meditate anywhere, anytime to lower your heart rate and blood pressure whenever stress strikes. Simply close the door or step away to find a quiet spot to slip into the deep relaxation of a meditation with focused breathing that stimulates the release of oxytocin, a natural feel-well chemical.
Add some supplements.
- CoQ10 fights aging and the effects of statins delivering a powerful antioxidant to boost heart health
- Magnesium helps stabilize blood pressure and relax blood vessels to promote blood flow
- Fish oil supplements fight inflammation throughout the body
- Vitamin K-2 pulls dangerous calcium from the arteries and delivers it to the bones
Laugh a little or a lot – Actually, once you get into the habit of laughing more you may find a lot more things to laugh about. Breaking out of serious or sad moods can be amazing when you remember how good it feels to laugh. To start, read something funny, watch a funny old movie, or call up a friend who always makes you laugh. From there, watch for funny things. Perspective is all it takes. Once you look for funny things you may see them popping up everywhere in unintended comments, overly serious people, or comic situations that we all run into every day. It’s never good to laugh at others, but you might be able to slide by with a wry smile.
Helping your heart may be easier than you thought. This is just a starter list. Keep adding to it to help your heart thrive.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Pearland, Tex.