As promised, here is the second part of the “Lifestyle for Better Hearth Health” series, where I will be covering exercise, tobacco, sleep and stress. For diet, please refer to the first article.
A healthy diet, along with exercise, helps us manage most lifestyle factors related to cardio vascular health: healthy cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, blood sugar and weight.
Exercise
Cardiovascular exercise, that is, anything that makes your heart beat faster, strengthens the cardiovascular and respiratory systems and, consequently, the body becomes much more effective taking the oxygen and nutrients where they are needed. The current recommendations are at least 150 minutes per week of moderate cardiovascular health for adults. I wrote a full article about cardio exercise if you’d like to learn more.
The adaptations created by cardio exercise help us do our daily tasks like climbing stairs easier. They are also known to increase life expectancy and health span (live longer in good health). Cardio exercise improves our mood and reduces inflammation, thanks to some substances, cytokines, that are generated when we exercise.
Stronger people have better cardiovascular health, so don’t neglect strength training!
Bonus, exercise can also help with sleep and stress, the other two cardiovascular health risk factors discussed later.
Tobacco
Tobacco consumption increases the risk of many diseases, including heart disease. If you smoke, consider quitting. A health and wellness coach can offer support if you cannot do it alone.
Stress
Stress is a natural reaction of the body to something perceived as a change or a challenge. It is there for our own safety, to be able to deal with situations with all our capacities at their best. Our heartbeat is increased, our blood pressure rises, energy is made readily available to “flight or fight”. And this is not something necessarily bad. Short term, moderate stress that last hours to days, also known as acute stress, helps us focus and perform at our best, and keeps us motivated.
The real issue is when the stress response persists for weeks and even months. Chronic stress can exacerbate mental health issues such as depression or anxiety, which can contribute to heart disease.
When it comes to reducing stress, it is important to focus on healthy coping strategies like exercise, breathing exercises, meditation, creative outlets or social support. Unhealthy coping strategies like substance abuse, overeating or self-harm can provide relieve short term, but they will backfire later, creating major mental and physical issues.
If you suffer from chronic stress, please seek professional help as needed – you are not alone. A health and wellness coach is a good place to start that can support you in implementing these healthy coping strategies and other positive lifestyle factors. Should it be deemed necessary, we can refer you to other specialists.
Sleep
We live in a society where little sleep is sometimes worn as a badge of honor. It is true that not everyone needs the same amount, however at the very least, 6 hours is recommended, 7 hours ideally. Even if the effects of moderate sleep deprivation may not be noticeable immediately, they can show up in the long run. Sleep is not fully understood yet by science, but we do know that it is there for a reason and that it plays a crucial role in our well-being.
Sufficient, good quality sleep is paramount for managing stress and anxiety levels and to give our bodies the time they need to restore and regenerate. This includes our cardiovascular system: sleep helps with the healing and repair of the heart and blood vessels. Chronic sleep deficiency is linked to an increased risk of heart disease and hypertension. Furthermore, it has been linked to obesity and high blood sugar, which are risk factors for cardiovascular health.
On the mental side, sleep deprivation has been associated with higher incidence of depression, anxiety and other issues.
The stress-reducing activities already mentioned usually help with sleep as well, although there are specific variations geared towards sleep, for example:
- Yoga Nidra, o yogic sleep: guided meditation practice that combines focused attention, and visualizations with a relaxed posture to promote a state of deep relaxation. It is thought to create brain activity similar to light sleep. I personally love this and aim to do it regularly.
- Restorative yoga: passive yoga used with props for support. Postures are held for long time, promoting stillness and relaxation. Another favorite of mine, especially after a stressful day.
- Sleep meditation: progressive relaxation and visualization with the goal to induce sleep.
- Sleepcasts: calming stories to promote sleep. This may not work for some people though, including myself. Even if the story is relaxing, it still stimulates my mind and attention and does not help me relax. But other people love it.
- Relaxing breathing techniques like left nostril breathing or extending the exhales. Something that you can do anywhere. I occasionally practice this in bed if I have trouble falling asleep.
Apps like Down Dog or Headspace offer many of these modalities. Feel free to try a few until you find what works for you.
Having a night routine, sleeping in a cool and dark room, switching off screens a couple of hours before bedtime (or at least using the night shift display settings), avoiding intense exercise before bed and large meals, and drinking relaxing herbal teas like chamomile are other strategies to try.
Interestingly, too much sleep is not good either, as it can makes us feel groggy and unmotivated. The sweet spot seems to be between 7 and 9 hours of sleep daily.
Your call to action
Everyone can work to improve their cardiovascular health. I suggest you pick the lifestyle factor that you think needs more work and set a SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bounded) goal for the following 30 days. For example:
- I will not eat more than one fried food per week
- I will go for a brisk 30 minute walk 5 days a week
- I will replace full fat dairy by low fat dairy
- I will cut my daily cigarettes by 20%
- I will do Meatless Monday (this means not eating animal products on Mondays).
- I will do a 15 minute meditation at least 5 days a week
- I will schedule my bedtime to allow for at least 7 hours of sleep until my wake time.
And of course, don’t skip regular medical check-ups. Preventive medicine is the best one!
What will you do in the next 30 days to take care of your heart? I read you in the comments.
Isabel
PS: As always, this information is offered for general educational purposes only. Please consult with a healthcare professional for personalized advice regarding heart health.
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