Prioritising your health and wellbeing can be challenging when juggling family and work commitments with an endless to-do list.

Try these five easy ways to invest in your heart health and make every beat count.

1. Increase your level of physical activity

By slowly increasing your levels of physical activity, you're on your way to controlling common heart disease risk factors, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and more.

Some small ways of increasing your activity include ¹:

• Taking the stairs instead of the lift
• Parking further away from the shopping centre when you’re getting your groceries
• Setting realistic exercise goals, which means starting small and working your way up to the recommended 30 to 60 minutes of moderate-intensity activity

It’s essential to ensure you’re exercising in a way you can enjoy, like dancing, swimming, or walking.

Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate physical exercise every day. Try our specially curated Spotify playlist below to get your body moving and your heart pumping!

2. Get your blood pressure checked regularly

Getting your blood pressure regularly checked by your local Blooms The Chemist Pharmacist is another way to look after your heart health.

You can have high blood pressure without experiencing any symptoms, so it is essential to monitor your blood pressure every two years to see if it is in the healthy range.

A fast and free Blood Pressure Evaluation is available at your local Blooms The Chemist. Book yours today.

3. Eat a heart-healthy diet

Eating a heart-healthy diet can be easier than you think.

All you need to do is include fibre-heavy foods, which include vegetables, whole grains, and fruit. You should also try to include omega-3s and unsaturated fats ².

Food high in saturated fats, such as fried foods, biscuits, pastries, and processed meat, can increase your blood cholesterol levels which can impact your heart health.

4. Quit smoking

By reducing the amount that you smoke, you’re slowly but surely reducing your risk of heart attacks and strokes ².

Stopping smoking is one of the best things you can do for yourself and your health, but if stopping completely is too hard, remember that every cigarette that you don’t smoke is helping your health.

For more information on how to keep your heart healthy, book a Blood Pressure Evaluation today at your local Blooms The Chemist or speak to our friendly Pharmacists in-store.

5. Sit less

People who sit less throughout the day have a lower risk of early death from heart disease ³. Find small ways to keep active, like walking while talking on the phone or investing in a treadmill or walking pad so you can increase your steps while watching TV.

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References

¹Heart Foundation Australia, Keeping your heart healthy, accessed 21 December 2023

²Better Health Victoria, Heart Disease – Know Your Risk, accessed 21 December 2023

3Heart Foundation,  Sitting less for adults, accessed 21 December 2023