This February commemorates 57 consecutive years of American Heart Month, which is a designated time for everyone, especially older adults, to focus on their cardiovascular health.
You only have one heart, so treat it well to reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease.
Maintaining a healthy, happy heart is important because cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Don’t despair! There are healthy lifestyle choices you can make to help prevent many types of heart disease, such as heart failure, stroke and hypertension (high blood pressure).
While some risk factors cannot be modified—advanced age, heredity, race and gender—there are other risk factors that you can control with lifestyle changes as you age, including:
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Smoking tobacco
- Obesity
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Excessive alcohol intake
Lowering your risk factors is not easy but you can do it! Pathway to Living and our preferred therapy provider FOX Rehab, team up to help hundreds of older adults in senior living improve their heart health and offer the following advice.
Get Moving
If lifting the lever to recline your chair is your idea of exercise, then you may be one of the millions of people who are living an inactive lifestyle. Only about 30 percent of Americans are active enough for good heart health, according to the American Heart Association. Unfortunately, physically inactive women and men are more likely to develop heart disease and experience a heart attack.
Regular, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity improves cardiovascular health and reduces the risk of heart disease. Exercise helps you lower blood pressure, control blood cholesterol levels and maintain a healthy weight.
Aim for 30 Minutes a Day
According to the CDC, older adults should spend 150 minutes each week in motion to get the blood pumping and heart stronger. You should engage in aerobic activity at least five days a week for 30 minutes, either all at once or broken into smaller chunks of time. Examples of moderate aerobic activity include swimming, biking, brisk walking, dancing, certain types of yoga, raking leaves and playing tennis.
Exercise is Only Part of the Picture
Exercise can help you lose weight, manage stress and strengthen your heart muscle but to avoid heart troubles, you need to do more. Smoking, overeating and excessive alcohol drinking can contribute to heart problems and cut years off your life. For help creating a healthy lifestyle, like eating a heart-healthy diet, turn to your loved ones, cardiologist or other healthcare provider. With support, you can adopt new habits that can positively impact your heart health.
Never Too Late or Too Little
Pathway to Living’s care partner, FOX Rehab, has helped hundreds of older adults in their 70s, 80s and even 90s improve their heart health and quality of life.
Physical therapy improved Pathway to Living resident Bernice’s strength and stamina, so she can make the walk on her own from her apartment to the dining room three times a day. Pathway to Living resident Ken, age 87, is thankful to have the endurance and energy to walk outside since working with Fox Rehab. Bernice and Ken tackled their health issues and with the help of therapy have significantly improved their well-being.
If you are inactive, doing anything is better than nothing. This February, during American Heart Month, is the perfect time to focus on a healthy lifestyle with the support and guidance of your caregivers and doctor. And remember to keep up with regular checkups. Your heart will be happy.
FOX exercise physiologists evaluate patients’ overall health, with special attention to cardiovascular function and metabolism, to develop individualized exercise programs to help patients with heart disease and other chronic conditions regain their health. To learn more, visit www.foxrehab.org.
Pathway to Living owns and operates Independent Living, Assisted Living and Memory Care communities in Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Florida.