Taking care of your cardiopulmonary health is an important consideration in life, especially as you get older. Thankfully, there are a few doctor-approved practices you can do to help improve in this area. Here are some effective ways to improve your heart’s health:
Get Tested
Whether or not you have symptoms of chronic conditions, it’s best to get a checkup with your primary doctor. They will know the best tests necessary for your condition. If you have a trusted doctor, they’ll know when it’s needed and what tests you don’t need to get yet.
In general, you can expect to have your vitals checked, receive questions on your fatigue and wellness, have blood tests to check for diabetes and cholesterol, and have an electrocardiogram or EKG. This will let you know where you stand and prep you for any necessary lifestyle changes or treatment.
Start Exercising
Exercise is vital to get rid of toxins in the body and increase blood flow, which aids in improving your heart health. Cardiovascular exercise is the easy go-to for this as it engages your system and improves blood circulation. There are also various levels you can do so that you don’t strain yourself.
Another excellent form of exercise is yoga, as this also helps you meditate and lessens stress and anxiety. Lowering your stress levels can be a great boon in preventing cardiac problems.
Get Into a Destressing Hobby
It’s helpful to find a hobby that lessens your stress. Studies prove that relaxing recreational activities can help reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. Your stress and level of happiness have a significant effect on your well-being.
You aren’t limited to any specific type of activity, either. You can read, play games, watch movies, and the like.
Get Rid of Vices
Smoking, drinking, and partaking in substances like cocaine and amphetamines can significantly harm your cardiopulmonary system. Though this may be a challenging aspect of taking care of yourself, know that it’s worth it to improve the quality of your life.
Start working toward getting rid of your vices, and your body will thank you for it. You will start feeling the improvement within just weeks of dumping these vices from your routine.
Eat a Balanced Diet
A balanced diet entails reducing your intake of unhealthy cholesterol, saturated fat, and refined sugars. What you put in your body has a lot of impact on your cardiovascular health. There are a few things you can do to improve your diet:
- Eat more fruits and veggies. It’s often recommended that you should be eating five servings of veggies and fruits every single day. While you may not be able to eat that many, the odds are that you can certainly eat more.
- Avoid processed foods. Don’t trust those whose only purpose is to make you unhealthily full with little nutritional value.
- Drink more water. You should be drinking 8-12 glasses of water a day. This aids in your digestion and keeps you hydrated.
Conclusion
If you stick with a plan and maintain healthy habits, you can genuinely improve your cardiac health. If you find a primary doctor that cares about your wellbeing, they can guide you on the lifestyle changes that you need to take.
Garden State Medical Group has board-certified physicians that are well-versed in prevention, treatment, management, and education. Contact us if you’re in need of primary care in NJ.