Here are some tips for keeping your heart in shape on World Heart Day.

The heart is the most important organ of the body. It is the centre of life, the engine responsible for distributing blood, setting the rhythm and organising the body. Keeping it healthy, strong and active and is the best investment for your future.

To mark World Heart Day (29 September) we would like to invite more of you to look after your hearts and prevent heart disease. Cardiovascular diseases affect the heart and blood vessels. Did you know that these diseases are the main cause of death in the world?

The good news is that most of these illnesses can be prevented by making small changes to your daily life, such as eating a healthy diet, exercising and giving up smoking. Just by giving up harmful habits, you can reduce your risk of heart attack by up to 90%, as well as modifiable risk factors, such as cholesterol, hypertension, diabetes and obesity.

That’s why specialists insist that the most effective way of fighting heart disease is through prevention.

10 tips for cardiovascular health

The Spanish Heart Foundation has ten recommendations for reducing the risk of suffering cardiovascular disease and improving your quality of life.

1. Balanced diet: Your diet should consist mainly of fruit and vegetables, fish, olive oil, lean meat (chicken, turkey, rabbit and cuts of pork without fat), as well as whole cereals. Cut down on your salt, sugar and alcohol intake.
2. Get regular exercise: spend at least 30 minutes every day exercising. Choose the type of exercise you find most enjoyable and which suits your level of fitness, such as walking, dancing, running, outdoor sports, etc.
3. Stop smoking: even if you smoke very little, it increases the risk of having heart attacks or strokes. If you need help, ask your doctor who will assess your health and advise you on how to kick the habit.
4. Maintain a healthy weight: Calculate your body mass index (BMI), by dividing your weight in kilos by your height in metres squared. If it is greater than 25 kg/m2, you are classified as overweight. Above 30 kg/m2 is considered obese.
5. Watch out for fat: excess fat around the waist is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Measure your waist (around your belly button). A woman’s waist should be less than 88 cm and a man’s waist should be less than 102 cm.
6. Check your blood pressure: Every year, check that your blood pressure is below 140/90 mmHg. If you have high blood pressure you must eat a low salt diet, take exercise and avoid overweight.
7. Check your cholesterol and blood sugar levels: The best way of keeping both these under control is to eat a healthy diet and to exercise. If you have more than 200 mg/dl of total cholesterol and 110 mg/dl of blood sugar, see a specialist.
8. Understand your cardiovascular risk: Cardiovascular risk factors are associated with a higher risk of suffering from a cardiovascular disease: cholesterol, diabetes, high blood pressure, smoking, family history of cardiovascular diseases, stress, obesity and heart rate. Quick action is essential for reducing cardiovascular risk, see the doctor for an assessment to find out yours.
9. Sleep well: sleeping well at night is associated with better cardiovascular health. In fact, people who sleep for at least seven hours can lower the risk of suffering from cardiovascular disease by up to 65%.
10. Learn to manage stress: anxiety can make your blood pressure rocket. Try to switch off and address stress with exercise, yoga, contact with nature and, if necessary, with psychotherapy.

As you see, a varied diet, sport and avoiding risk factors are essential to having a strong and healthy heart.

“A healthy heart is the heart of health”. Johanna Ralston, Director General of the World Health Organization.

This post is also available in: Spanish