18th February 2020
While you’re rushing about racing to work, doing the weekly shop or playing with the grandkids, do you ever stop to think how healthy your heart is?
Statistics show that it’s time you did. Every year, a shocking 65,000 women in the UK suffer a heart attack and women are three times more likely to die from heart disease than from breast cancer. But why are we unaware about the threat it poses to us?
We think of it as something affecting men more but in fact just as many women die from cardiovascular disease and many of the risk factors are connected to lifestyle.
The good news is there are plenty of easy steps we can all take to reduce the risk of developing heart problems.
And with February marking British Heart Foundation’s National Heart Month, we’re all being urged to take up their 10 minute challenge. Currently around half of all women don’t do the recommended 150 minutes of activity a day – that’s just 20 minutes a day.
Now the BHF have thrown down the gauntlet challenging us to do two (or more) bouts of 10 minutes of physical activity each day.
Being overweight increases your risk of developing heart disease, but your body shape can have an impact too. People who carry weight on their waistline are more vulnerable to heart disease so exercise is extremely important when it comes to reducing the risk.
The ideal waistline is about half your height – on average that’s under 31.5 inches for women and under 37 inches for men, so take action if yours is more than this.
To whittle down that waist and lose weight in general, you should eat a healthy diet and take up the 10 minute challenge.
It’s also useful to have regular eye checks as it can help detect serious health conditions like high blood pressure or high cholesterol, which can both lead to heart disease.
Did you know you’re more likely to have a heart attack in the morning than any other time? This is because levels of the stress hormone, cortisol, peak early in the day.
Add in a rise in blood pressure and heart rate from the rush to get ready followed by a stressful commute to work, and you have the perfect recipe for a heart attack.
Lower your stress levels with some simple tricks – music has a calming effect on our brains, so play something soothing as you get ready for the day. And get to bed early – the less sleep you have, the higher the levels of cortisol in your bloodstream.
So take a little time out to show your heart some love!