Every year, Heart Health Month (American Heart Month) is observed in February. That doesn’t mean, however, that you can ignore your heart’s needs from March 1 to January 31. Over 100 million adults in the U.S. have heart or “cardiovascular” disease—a major cause of premature death—and it takes ongoing attention to avoid becoming a statistic. Especially if your everyday life is stressful—or if you have paraplegia, Down syndrome, autism, or another disability that increases risk.
Remember, though, that taking care of your heart doesn’t have to be a chore. Many approaches are fun, delicious, and/or great ways to nurture an overall sense of well-being. Here are some of our favorite tips (and apps) for keeping your heart healthy all year.
Fitness Tips
Obesity is a major factor in heart-disease risk. Staying fit and eating healthy are among the best gifts you can give your heart.
You don’t have to join a gym or run two miles a day to get fit. A little extra activity in the everyday can work wonders.
- Park at the far end of the lot, so you can walk extra steps.
- Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
- Set a phone alert reminding you to stretch a bit every hour.
- Find a physical activity you really enjoy (it doesn’t have to be an “official” exercise or sport). Try pickleball, dancing, or active games with your children.
Nutrition Tips
- Plan your shopping lists and menus in advance. Panic decisions are usually unhealthy decisions.
- Emphasize lean proteins, fresh or frozen produce, and whole grains. Be a minimalist with sweets and packaged/processed foods.
- If you’re short on shopping time, use a grocery-delivery app. (And if you worry about expenses, compare the cost of grocery delivery to the cost of fast food. Delivery is nearly always the winner in calories and dollars.)
- Keep a few healthy snacks (such as nuts, fruit, carrot sticks, or whole-grain crackers) in your bag/car. It’s good insurance against the “hungry with only donut shops in sight” trap.
- Unless you’re eating out at a planned location, never enter any shopping area on an empty stomach. Displays of empty-but-luscious calories and fatty foods are always waiting to snag the unwary.
Stress Management Tips
Anxiety and worry wreak havoc on all aspects of your health. Don’t let that become another thing to worry about: do something about it.
- Practice deep-breathing exercises, prayer, meditation, and/or yoga.
- Plan your schedule around priorities, not impulses. (A time-management or organizer app is useful here.)
- Don’t let your to-do list get overloaded. It helps to commit to a few “non-negotiables”: e.g., no staying out past a certain hour, no answering messages during major tasks.
- Get a counselor or trustworthy friend to help you set priorities (including long-term goals) and see your challenges through calmer eyes.
- Spend time outdoors. There’s something about viewing open sky that puts life into perspective.
Apps
- Apple Fitness, which comes with the basic iOS package, includes step trackers and fitness challenges.
- Cooking Matters is a top source of ideas for healthy eating on a limited budget. Recommended especially for a household’s primary grocery shopper/cook.
- Fitbit is the best-known step counter. It also tracks weight, heart rate, and other important health metrics.
- Google Fit: Activity Tracker offers a choice of healthy habits to track, and comes with a health-journaling feature.
- Happify is a popular stress-management tool for people who struggle with chronic physical conditions as well as emotional anxiety. And it has a built-in screen reader for users with vision disabilities.
- Mealime Meal Plans & Recipes is a highly accessible app popular with users who have special dietary needs.
- MyFitnessPal is another popular weight-management app, and one of the best for creating individualized programs.
- Strong Workout Tracker Gym Log is a fitness app that gives special attention to strength exercises. It includes videos that help users check their moves.
- WeightWatchers Program is the classic healthy-eating app. (You don’t have to be a Weight Watchers member to download it.)
Finally: see your doctor(s) regularly and follow their advice. Not only are they your best source of individualized health tips, they can do a lot to put your worries in perspective.
Wishing you and your heart a happy, healthy year!