1.Plant a Victory Garden

Enjoy fresh, organic foods: Nutrition is key to maintaining heart health. Eating plenty of fresh, organic produce like the veggies you grow in your garden provide filling fiber to lower your cholesterol and various nutrients that support cardiovascular health.

Get moving: Gardening is a great form of exercise for anyone. Those with a home plot, or who invest in one in a community garden, get moving in the great outdoors more often, elevating their heart rate with mild exercise they barely notice. If movement is a challenge, modifications can be made using stools, rakes, and other tools.

The great outdoors: Studies have shown that being outdoors piques your five senses. It can help to reduce stress. Outdoor activities, like forest bathing, have proven to decrease blood pressure. Even gardening will get you out into the fresh air.

2.Rethink Your Commute

Does sitting in traffic elevate your heart rate? This happens because your stress goes through the roof? Are there any alternatives that could boost your cardiovascular health?

For example, using public transportation might take a bit longer, but it provides you with semi-quiet time — if you use headphones — to relax and read or do puzzles on your phone.

E-bikes are now more affordable than ever, and they are a blast to ride, increasing your daily exercise quotient while still getting you to the office sweat-free. Walking is a fabulous option if it’s realistic for your schedule.

3. Bake a Better Cake

You need omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids for optimal heart health. 

Omega-3s are essential for cardiovascular health. They help reduce triglycerides, a type of fat that can clog arteries, slow plaque buildup, and lower arrhythmia chances. 

When baking, replace each ⅓ cup of vegetable oil with a full cup of ground flaxseeds. Flaxseeds have a preponderance of omega-3s helping you balance your intake.

4 . Stretch and Breathe Before Bed

Stress is endemic in American society and can affect your cardiovascular health. A daily yoga and meditation routine, or even a scheduled time for some breathing exercises, can help you manage it more effectively, but few people think they have the time.

The solution is to perform your routine in bed before going to sleep. A few gentle stretches followed by a guided meditation or yoga practice can ease you into dreamland, promote sound slumber to help your heart recover, and reduce your overall stress levels.

5.Lifestyle Changes to Maintain Heart Health

You don’t have to embark on a radical training plan to maintain your heart health. The lifestyle changes above do the trick. Select one or more to implement into your life. You’ll thank yourself at your next checkup.

Healthy lifestyle changes can help you avoid medications and their side effects. To avoid unnecessary risks, Afwaj Nursing Services brings you research-based, unbiased wellness content to provide you with alternatives to help you, and those you love, reduce or eliminate your need for medications. All of our work is done free from pharmaceutical influence or funding.