Ever noticed how musical scores and background rhythms affect how a film unfolds? They are evocative, empowering, and enlightening… giving you a clue of what has been and what is to come. If any ‘instrument’ could provide a soundtrack to the functioning of the human body, it would be our heart. It provides the daily beats that we depend on, and powers us through all the routine and novel experiences in our journey of life.

We often think of heart health only in terms of the complications it can cause, or as a concern for the elderly, people with an existing heart condition or family history of heart disease. The word ‘cardiac’ brings to mind ECGs, doctors, heart monitors and hospitals. However, our heart health is in every beat of life— it’s the small things we do every day that can make a big difference to our cardiac health and help us make the most of life. It is our background score, that dictates a lot of how life can be!

This begins with a heart healthy lifestyle. These four basic practices can help you kick off this journey and a lay a foundation to better heart health and good health overall:

Getting a handle on stress.

Mental health matters when it comes to matters of the heart. Chronic stress is linked to heart health, since it can raise your blood pressure and also affect sleep quality and patterns. High levels of cortisol released during long-term stress may  affect blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol levels – considered common risk factors for heart disease. The mental and physical fatigue that comes with chronic stress may also lead us to making unhealthy lifestyle choices. Getting help from mental health professionals, regular exercise and finding a better work-life balance can all help in managing stress levels.

Getting your daily dose of exercise.

Did you know, the heart is a muscular organ? Apart from a heart friendly diet, physical activity plays a huge part in keeping your ticker in good health, improving heart function and also positively impacting other risk factors such as weight, blood pressure, cholesterol levels and insulin sensitivity. Exercise helps boost your immune system and is a great stress buster. It has been found that physical inactivity is one of the major factors affecting risk of chronic illnesses, such as cardiovascular disease, as well as heart disease-related mortality. Aim for at least 30 minutes (working up to 60 minutes) of daily exercise, for a minimum of 5 days a week, with a combination of:

Aerobic activity: Helps improve blood circulation and cardiac output. Do talk to a professional about the optimum heart rate range for you, to get the maximum benefits in a safe manner. Examples: walking, running, swimming and sports.

Strength and resistance training: Strength training exercises are recommended at least twice a week, working all major muscle groups. Combining aerobic and resistance training exercises helps build endurance, boosts heart and body function, improves strength and more. Examples: Push ups, squats and weight training.

Flexibility/ balance training: Helps build musculoskeletal health, improves joint health and flexibility, making it easier to focus on heart friendly exercises, sans pain. Great as a warm-up or cool down before and after your main workout session. Examples: Yoga, stretching and tai chi.

If you are a beginner, consulting a trainer and your doctor is always a good idea. Set realistic goals and remember that even small pockets of enhanced activity help if you are running short of time. Make exercise more fun by including activities you enjoy and planning sessions with friends and family to keep you motivated. If you have an existing heart condition, it is imperative to monitor your health while working out, or if you are making changes to your exercise regime. In this case, do check with your doctor first. There are cardiac monitors, with remote monitoring capabilities, allow for safe tracking of your heart rate and cardiac activity and keep you and your data well connected with doctors and fitness professionals.

Periodic testing for relevant health markers

When it comes to managing heart disease, especially those affected by lifestyle/habits, prevention is definitely better than cure! Start with understanding your health history, including genetic/familial risks for health conditions. Knowing where you stand with other comorbidities and risk factors that affect heart health such as blood sugar, cholesterol levels, hypertension etc. can also determine what additional testing is required to check for heart disease, and will help you make the necessary lifestyle and/or medical changes for a more heart healthy lifestyle.

Making a heart healthy diet part of your every day.

Our diets have a direct link to risk for heart disease, and other health issues like diabetes, cholesterol and obesity. Loading up on heart healthy foods are not just good for your cardiovascular health, but also overall health and wellbeing. Heart-friendly eating is high on vegetables, fruits, healthy fats, lean proteins and whole grains, while cutting down on saturated fats, sodium and sugar intake and high fat protein sources. Cutting back on processed foods and alcohol also help. Keep in mind that how much you eat is as important as what you are eating. Keep a check on portion sizes to get adequate nutrition, without overdoing it at every meal. Do speak to your doctor before starting with a new dietary plan, and to find an optimum meal plan for your needs and lifestyle.

With the kind of hectic lives we lead today, it has become imperative for people of all ages to make lifestyle changes to keep our hearts healthy. With younger Indians at an increasing risk for heart disease nowadays, beginning with practicing a heart healthy lifestyle can help get one on track. Imbibing a few heart-friendly habits, sooner rather than later, can help us find our ideal rhythms and power us through all that life has to offer.

Disclaimer: The information mentioned in this document is only suggestive /for patient education and shall not be considered as a substitute for doctor’s advice or recommendations from Abbott. Please consult your doctor for more information.