February 1964 was the first American Heart Month under President Lyndon B. Johnson. The purpose of Heart Month is to bring awareness to heart disease. 61 years later… heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women, with an astonishing one in four people dying from it.
Sitting all day comes with a high risk of heart disease. Staying active, and managing stress and diet are all great ways to prevent heart disease, and a healthy lifestyle. People who commute by walking, biking, and public transit are naturally more active and environmentally friendly. Here are some tips to keep your heart healthy.
Walking strengthens your heart and reduces the risk of heart disease. Daily walks are an easy way to get moving and get outside. From the time of the first Heart Month, children who walked or biked to school has significantly decreased from 48 percent in 1969 to 11 percent in 2021. Walking your kids to school is a great way to get you and your kids moving.
Biking is another example of exercise that can improve your heart health. Biking strengthens your heart muscle, lowers your risk of heart disease, and reduces your blood pressure with minimal impact on your joints. Choose biking instead of driving when you can whether it be to work, or running errands.
Check out the Greater Mercer Trails Plan to see where trails are near you! Plan out your next bike ride or walk and discover new trails.
Streets that accommodate for pedestrians and cyclists reduce the number of personal motor vehicles. Less personal vehicles on the road reduces the amount of greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution; air pollution has been shown to worsen existing cardiovascular disease and contribute to developing the disease. Overall, Americans have some of the highest rates of heart disease. Many cities and towns are designed for dependence on a personal vehicle. Implementing safety and sustainability into design can increase accessibility to being naturally active and sustainable! Being active doesn’t always need to be a time set aside for exercise. You can easily add active time to your day by choosing to walk or bike rather than drive for short trips, or simply taking the stairs instead of the elevator.
More heart health tips to incorporate in your life:
Eat Heart Healthy foods. This includes fruits and veggies, whole grains, healthy proteins, and minimal processed foods. Check out this article on healthy foods that cost under one dollar per serving. ; and
Breathing Activities reduce stress and can improve heart health by strengthening your diaphragm and improving circulation. Practice two breathing exercises with me!
- 4-7-8 breathing
- Inhale for four seconds à hold your breath for seven seconds à exhale for eight seconds pursing your lips together and make a “whoosh” sound as you breathe out.
- Alternate nostril breathing
- Inhale through one nostril and exhale through the other. Repeat with the other nostril.
It all adds up to better one’s heart health! We at Greater Mercer TMA focus on helping our communities with programs that help to keep you moving and work to improve safety, mobility, and sustainability.
Resources:
https://www.upworthy.com/kids-walking-to-school-ex1
https://gmtma.org/greater-mercer-trails-plan/