A healthy lifestyle helps you maintain a healthy heart.
You know what they say, prevention is better than cure. Here are some of our top tips for a healthy heart:
Stop Smoking
If you are a smoker, you need to quit. NOW! This is the single most important thing you can do for your heart. Smoking is the leading cause of heart attacks. Here are some practical and easy steps you can take to stop smoking.
The Australian Government site Quitnow can also help you to cope while you are trying to quit. They have a helpline, can assist with finding a ‘quit coach’ and also provide useful information and resources.
Exercise
Staying active can greatly reduce the risk of developing heart disease.
The Australian Governments Physical Activity & Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines for Adults (18-64 years) recommends a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise each week or less, if the physical activity is of greater intensity.
Moderate intensity activities include brisk walking, playing golf, recreational swimming or household activities such as cleaning windows etc.
High intensity activities include jogging, aerobics and most sports.
Apart from short bursts of moderate to intense activity, it is also important to stay active during the day. If you have a sedentary desk job, make sure you get up from time to time. Walk up to your colleague instead of calling her, take a coffee break or refill your water bottle periodically.
Standing desks or Hamster-wheels at workstations are some more ideas that help you keep active throughout your day.
Nuts, Fruits and Vegetables
Make friends with these types of food for a healthy heart:
- Fruits and vegetables – particularly berries.
- Nuts, seeds and legumes.
- Whole grains – which are rich in fibre.
- Lean meats and fish (which is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids).
Avoid refined carbs, fried foods and red meats. Consumption of alcohol should also be restricted.
Relax
Feeling stressed is common. Things do not always go to plan. The important thing is to remain calm in these situations.
If we let these situations get the better of us they can adversely affect our heart. In order to cope with stress, the body releases adrenaline. Adrenaline causes the heart to go in to overdrive.
Regular exercise helps us to cope with stress. Other ways to combat stress is to confide in a friend, or a trusted colleague.
Switch Off
In today’s world of 24/7 connectivity, where smartphones are becoming smarter by the second we are now working from anywhere at any time.
This is a major cause of the rise of stress which leads to heart problems. Therefore, it’s important to be able to disconnect from our phones, tablets and other electronic devices.
Use the ‘Do Not Disturb’ mode at night so you can catch your zzz’s in peace.
Sleep
Getting adequate sleep is essential for a healthy heart. Sleep provides the heart (and the body) with much needed downtime to rest and recuperate. Your heart rate and blood pressure also slows down while sleeping.
So, for the sake of your heart, make sure you get adequate sleep each night.
Be Prepared
If there ever is a cardiac emergency in your workplace you need to be prepared. Make sure you have quick access to an automated external defibrillator. How quickly you are able to locate, access and use the AED could make all the difference when it comes to saving a life.
Alsco offers a variety of first aid kits and defibrillators perfect for any working environment.
Our rental program includes regular training, maintenance, replacement pads and restocking services. Therefore, you don’t need to worry about keeping up to date with WHS legislation and have more time to focus on other areas of your business instead.
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