How to Create Your Own Heart Health Plan

How to use this heart-health guide

Below you’ll find five cornerstones to maintaining a healthy heart. You can think of these as some of the most important avenues to being proactive with heart health.

Heart health can look different for each person, depending on their health history and lifestyle. However, the foundations remain the same for everyone.

It can be helpful to work through this guide and consider what’s important to you and what you realistically have time for in a routine. Each section will include accessible examples, as well as tips for how you can begin building long-lasting habits in each of these areas.

The goal isn’t to be perfect right away. Instead, it’s about identifying the habits that feel accessible and easy to manage.

Managing stress and your mental health

Stress can feel like an inevitable part of life. It may occur more frequently during busy periods or after a major life change.

A 2022 study found that stress can elevate inflammation levels in the body, increasing the risk of plaque buildup in the arteries. This can increase the risk of heart disease.

Managing stress can help keep your heart healthy. It can be helpful to create stress-busting routines and rituals that feel accessible after a long day or when you’re low on energy. Examples include:

• Journaling or using the brain dump method to get all your worries down on paper.
• Self-care rituals to help you unwind, including a warm bath or shower.
• Making time for hobbies you enjoy, like reading a book.
• Gentle movement, like stretches or a quick yoga flow.
• Connecting with loved ones and sharing what’s on your mind.

Movement

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week.

Exercise doesn’t have to be limited to going to the gym. Think of it as whatever gets your body moving and heart pumping. Consider:

• brisk walking or hiking
• body weight exercises, such as squats, or push-ups
• yoga
• dance classes, like zumba
• sports, such as tennis or soccer
• group fitness classes
• cycling

Sleep, rest, and recovery

One of the most important, and often overlooked, factors of heart health is sleep.

Ensuring you are getting enough quality sleep is vital to maintaining a healthy heart. When you sleep, your body repairs itself by lowering your blood pressure, resetting your bodily systems, and reducing inflammation.

All of these functions are vital for heart health.

Most adults need a minimum of seven hours of sleep a night. To help ensure you get a good night’s rest when your head hits the pillow, it can be helpful to:

• Have a fixed sleep schedule: Try going to sleep at the same time every day, even on weekends.
• Limit caffeine and alcohol: Try to reduce your intake of caffeine and alcohol, especially in the evenings, for a more restful night’s sleep.
• Avoid devices before bed: Consider putting down electronic devices, such as smartphones, one hour before sleep. These devices emit blue light, which can interfere with melatonin production, a hormone that helps you sleep.
• Create a comfortable environment: Having a comfortable mattress and pillow can help promote healthier sleep. It can also be beneficial to create a quiet, dark, and cool sleeping environment.

Eating for your heart

Regularly consuming foods that are ultra-processed and high in unhealthy fats and sugars can increase your risk of heart disease. Following a heart-healthy diet can benefit your heart, even if you already have heart disease.

The following tips and tricks can help you ensure that the foods on your plate are supporting your heart:

• Eat the rainbow: Try to consume a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables every day. This can help ensure you’re getting a high level of nutrients.
• Reduce high sodium foods: Lowering your intake of convenience foods, like salty snacks and processed meats, which are high in sodium, is one way to keep your blood pressure at a healthy level.
• Limit ultra-processed foods: These are made with ingredients you typically don’t have in your kitchen cupboard. They’re often high in saturated fat, added sugar, and sodium, which can increase tour risk of heart disease.
• Incorporate more healthy fats:Adding more healthy fats to your diet, like avocado, salmon, and dark chocolate, is a great way to reduce inflammation in the body.

Social connection

Having strong social support systems in place is vital to having a longer life and keeping your heart healthy. Creating and maintaining social connections can look like:

• checking in regularly with loved ones, even if it’s just a quick text or phone call
• creating new and shared experiences, such as attending a workout class with a friend
• offering a neighbor a ride to an appointment or the grocery store
• sharing routines, such as going on a morning walk or coffee run with a loved one
• remembering small details, such as following up with a friend about an important work call they had

Takeaway

The way we move, eat, sleep, and even connect with others can play a key role in long-term heart health.

Remember, you don’t need a diagnosis to begin caring for your heart. Instead, you can focus on small, consistent habits, including movement, diet, and sleep, that help protect your heart in the long run.