Heart health is critical for all ages, but since heart disease is a leading cause of death for people over 50, senior citizens should pay particular attention to ways to maintain cardiovascular fitness. Healthy exercise and diet habits can prevent premature death and improve the quality of life, states Dr. Gregg Fonarow from the UCLA Cardiomyopathy Center in an article on the Senior Journal website.
Avoid Smoke
According to B4tea.com, you should avoid all forms of smoking. Smoke diminishes the amount of oxygen in your system, creating a greater risk of heart disease. This includes smoking cigarettes and prolonged exposure to secondhand smoke.
Exercise
Daily exercise will help keep your heart healthy. The American Heart Association recommends at least 30 minutes of aerobic activity per day. Choose yoga, bicycling, dancing, walking or swimming to get the heart pumping and improve heart health.
Keep Your Weight Down
Extra weight, particularly in the abdominal area, is hard on the heart. According to Consumerreports.org, extra weight in this midsection causes elevated blood pressure, insulin resistance and inflammation of the arteries.
One of the most effective ways to maintain a healthy weight is to control the size of your portions. Eat no more than 2 to 3 oz. of meat per meal and 1/2 cup of pasta or other starch. When you first start out, you may need to measure your portions. You'll eventually develop the ability to judge portion sizes by sight.
Increase Dietary Fiber
A high-fiber diet will do double duty of filling you up and helping prevent inflammation of the arteries. Some of the healthiest sources of fiber include fruits, vegetables, whole grains and nuts.
Eat Healthy Fats
Eat foods loaded with omega-3 fatty acids that are beneficial to your cardiovascular system, and avoid saturated and trans fat foods. Healthy fats can be found in salmon, sardines, halibut, olive oil and soybeans. Labels of packaged foods are now required to state whether or not they have trans fats. Foods high in the unhealthy fats can cause your low-density lipoprotein (bad cholesterol) to increase, which may cause clogged arteries.
Cut Sodium
Sodium can elevate your blood pressure, so cut back as much as you can. Most people should consume less than 2,300mg of sodium per day, according to Consumerreports.org. This is the equivalent of approximately 1 tsp. of salt.
Relax
Work on avoiding excess stress by using relaxation techniques. Try yoga, meditation, prayer or tai chi to deal with unavoidable stresses in life. Practice taking deep breaths and slowly exhaling. Take time each day to participate in an enjoyable activity. Whether it's an all-day fishing trip, a round of golf or an hour of reading, this can help you relax and get your mind off stress.
Drink Alcohol in Moderation
Drinking small amounts of alcohol can be beneficial for the heart by increasing high-density lipoproteins--good cholesterol. One drink per day for women and up to two per day for men is sufficient. More than that may have the reverse effect and increase the risk of heart disease.
Be Aware of Symptoms
Study the symptoms of a heart attack so you can act quickly if they happen to you. Some of the symptoms include chest pain, shortness of breath, jaw pain, neck pain and sudden weakness or lightheadedness. If you feel these symptoms, immediately call for an ambulance. Consumerreports.org recommends taking one regular or four low-dose aspirins while waiting for the ambulance to arrive may help prevent the formation of blood clots.
