Little habits can make a big impact on your heart health; let’s learn more

Why strengthen your heart? This small but mighty organ does important work in your body, not least of which is pumping blood to ensure you remain strong and healthy. And yet, your heart is also vulnerable to numerous dangers and needs the best tender, loving care. Neglecting your heart health may lead to heart attacks, heart disease, and high blood pressure.

Quick Read:

A heart attack is an event that results when blood supply to the heart is blocked by a clot or plaque in one or more coronary arteries.
A common symptom of a heart attack includes subtle but constant pressure, fullness, squeezing, or pain in the chest that lasts for a more than a few minutes. Don’t ignore this sign.
Stress and lifestyle factors have important repercussions for heart health. This is why doctors consistently advise patients to find ways to manage stress and improve their overall health, fitness, and nutrition.

Who is at risk for heart health problems?

Heart disease doesn’t only affect older adults or those already living with health conditions. Many people are at risk, often without realising it. While some risk factors are out of your control, many are linked to everyday lifestyle choices.

You may be at higher risk if you:

Have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes.
Are overweight or physically inactive.
Smoke or drink alcohol excessively.
Eat a diet high in processed foods, salt, and unhealthy fats.
Experience ongoing stress or poor sleep.

Age and family history also play a role. As you get older, your risk naturally increases, and having close relatives with heart disease can further increase your chances.

In the South African context, rising rates of conditions like hypertension, Type 2 diabetes, and obesity are making heart health a growing concern across all age groups. Even if you feel healthy, it’s worth paying attention to your daily habits. Many of these risks can be reduced by building consistent, heart-friendly habits early on.

Healthy habit: Move it
or lose it

Most of us sit for far too long at a time. Set a timer and get your circulation going. Aim to move around at least every 30 minutes.

Besides just moving around, you need regular exercise. Physical activity helps strengthen the heart muscle and prevent arterial damage. Try to walk, swim, or jog every other day. Focus on activities that naturally elevate your heart rate.

Get creative with fitness. Fitness is anything that feels good and gets you moving. Good options include dancing, which improves cardiovascular health, lowers blood pressure, and boosts your mood. Bonus: It’s free and fun. Or, take a cue from children’s activites like skipping or jumping on the trampoline. Stationary cycling, body-weight exercises, using a resistance band, stretching exercises, and even walking on the spot are all simple, doable, and low-effort workout options.

A happy heart makes the face cheerful.
– Akan Proverb

Healthy habit: Don’t be afraid of (good) fats

Your heart needs the healthy kind of fats that are found in vegetables, nuts, fish, and seeds. These fats are helpful in reducing your risk of heart disease and cholesterol problems. Tip: add some avocado to your diet for a quick and simple good fat boost.

Healthy habit: Lose weight (if necessary)

Carrying extra weight can have a serious effect on your heart. Losing weight (in a healthy way) shouldn’t just be about fitting into your jeans. The goal is to ease the extra pressure on your arterial walls. This pressure forces your heart to work harder, upping your risk of hypertension. Carrying weight around the middle is linked with higher blood pressure. So, make it a priority to shape up for your heart’s sake.

Healthy habit: Sleep well

Not to be alarmist, but people who are regularly sleep-deprived are prone to cardiovascular disease. According to the Sleep Foundation, “Sleep is an essential time for the body to recuperate. During the non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep stages, heart rate slows, blood pressure drops, and breathing stabilises. These changes reduce stress on the heart, allowing it to recover from strain during waking hours. Without sufficient nightly sleep, a person doesn’t spend enough time in the deep stages of NREM sleep that benefit the heart. As a result, chronic sleep deprivation has been linked to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart attack, obesity, diabetes, and stroke.”

Get help from your doctor if you’re struggling to sleep and find practical and sustainable relaxation techniques.

Healthy habit: Clean up your diet

There’s no vitamin or supplement in the world that can reverse the effects of a bad diet. Do you know that many fruits and vegetables actually contain heart-friendly nutrients that work their magic from the inside out? Rather than getting your fill in pill form, shop smarter. Leafy greens like spinach and kale should always be on your menu. Tomatoes, wholegrains, almonds, walnuts, and tuna are also wonderful heart helpers. And the good news: dark chocolate is tasty and healthy. Look for one with a high cocoa percentage.