5 Ways To Keep Your Heart Healthy
Heart disease kills more men than any other disease. According to the American Heart Association, almost 33 million American men have cardiovascular disease, and over 430,000 die from it every year. Sadly, many of these deaths were preventable.
The key is to act now — don't wait until your first heart attack to drop any bad health habits, start exercising and adopt a healthier diet.
You've only got one heart, so here are some tips to keep it healthy:
1. Avoid tobacco altogetherSmoking is a huge risk factor of heart disease, in addition to lung cancer and emphysema. This is because many of the chemicals found in tobacco smoke (there are over 4,800 of them, 69 of which are cancer causing) can actually damage the heart and cause atherosclerosis, or a narrowing of the blood vessels caused by a buildup of plaque in the walls of the arteries.
Moreover, the nicotine in cigarettes can constrict blood vessels, thus increasing blood pressure and forcing the heart to work harder. Cigarette smoke also contains carbon monoxide, which displaces oxygen in your blood. Less oxygen in the blood means that your heart has to work harder and pump more blood to satisfy the body's needs.
If you're not a smoker, good for you, but remember to avoid breathing secondhand smoke. If you are a smoker, keep in mind that quitting can dramatically reduce your risk of developing heart disease. Lastly, if you think that smokeless tobacco is okay, think again: Chewing tobacco and low-tar/low-nicotine cigarettes still deliver nicotine (not to mention chemicals like carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide, and nitrogen gases) to your body, and therefore are bad for your heart.
2. Exercise toward a healthy heartIt's important to get a good workout on a regular basis. Indeed, inactivity is a major risk factor of heart disease, to a similar degree as smoking, high cholesterol level, and high blood pressure. Men who have an active lifestyle have a 45% lower risk of developing heart disease compared to those who do not exercise.
The key is to get enough exercise — that is, at least 30 to 60 minutes of medium-intensity exercise (such as brisk walking and stair climbing) per day, or at least most days of the week. But exercise doesn't have to be dull or take place at the gym — dancing, for example, is fun and comes in various intensity levels. For instance, low-intensity dances include slow waltz and fox trot; medium-intensity dances include quick waltz, folk dance and slow disco; and high-intensity dances include disco and aerobic dance.
A good way to know if you're exercising enough is to check your heart rate. You can do this easily by using a heart rate monitor, available at any sporting goods store. Be sure to know your maximum heart rate, or your highest number of heart beats per minute when exercising at a maximal level. To know your maximum heart rate, subtract your age from 220; so for instance, if you are 30 years old, then your max heart rate while exercising is 190. You can then use a percentage of your maximum heart rate as a measurement of exercise intensity (aim for 60% to 90% as your target heart rate).
An easy way to measure your level of intensity, and three more important ways to prevent heart disease...