Egg Harbor Township School Nurses

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, but it can often be prevented. Adopting a heart-healthy lifestyle can help you reduce the risk of heart disease and its risk factors. Take action to protect your heart by following these tips.

Lack of sleep or getting poor-quality sleep increases the risk of having high blood pressure, heart disease, and other medical conditions.

● Try to aim for 7-9 hours of sleep a night.

● Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day.

● Exercise regularly, but not within 2-3 hours before bedtime.

● Avoid caffeine and nicotine.

A flexible and balanced eating plan can help lower your high blood pressure and improve your cholesterol.

● Follow the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan, which can help you create a heart healthy eating style for life.

● Read nutrition labels to pick the food lowest in saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars.

● Try a mix of lean cuts of meat, eat fish once or twice a week, and eat two or more meatless meals each week.

● Consider whole fruits, dried fruits, unsalted rice cakes, fat-free and low-fat yogurt, or raw vegetables as a snack.

Maintaining a healthy weight is important for overall health and can help you prevent and control many diseases and conditions.

● Choose healthy snacks like fruits, vegetables, yogurt, or nuts, instead of sugary or high-calorie snacks.

● Stay hydrated with water as your primary beverage.

● Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise (such as brisk walking) or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity (like running) exercise per week.

● Consider keeping a log of what you eat throughout the day

Getting enough physical activity helps to lower your risk of heart disease and stroke.

● Adults should spend at least 150 minutes (2 ½ hours) each week doing physical activity.

● Sit less! Take the stairs. Park farther away. March in place or take a walk around the block.

● Try muscle-strengthening activities like lifting weights, working with resistance bands, doing sit-ups and pushups, or some forms of yoga—whatever works for you.

● If you don’t have a lot of time in your day, try being active for 10 minutes at a time. Anything that gets your heart beating faster counts!

Any amount of smoking, even light or occasional smoking, damages your heart and blood vessels. ● Select a quit date and write yourself a contract that outlines your plan for quitting.

● Talk with your healthcare provider about programs and products that can help you quit.

● Join a support group. Many hospitals, workplaces, and community groups offer classes to help people quit smoking.

● Call 1–800–QUIT–NOW and visit smokefree.gov to get additional support

The American Heart Association suggests that increased visibility of the need for CPR has had a positive impact on someone’s willingness to respond if they are bystanders in a cardiac emergency.

https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/education/american-heart-month

https://newsroom.heart.org/events/february-is-american-heart-month-national-wear-red-day-black-history-month-and-more