About 610,000 people die from heart disease in the United States every year. 1 in every 4 deaths (CDC, N.D). It’s absoutley crazy to think that American’s have so many deaths due to heart disease when there is so many ways that can prevent this disease. Heart Disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women (CDC, N.D). Knowing everything that is known about heart disease why wouldn’t people want to take better care of themselves and not put themselves at high risk for getting heart disease. The following paragraphs will include a few ways that can help prevent heart disease.
Swimming is not only good for the heart but also very good for the rest of the body. A study at the State University of New York showed that compared to non swimmers those who swim have lower heart rates, better blood pressure, improved breathing, and improved circulation (heart and vascular team, 2013). If all it took was swimming for 30 minutes every day, would you do it to improve your heart? These are questions I ask myself and other people around me. All it takes is a short amount of time to start improving your heart. Swimming is ideal for everything from weight loss to cardiac rehabilitation and its terrific for the heart ( heart and vascular team, 2013).
High Blood Pressure and Smoking are the key risk factors for heart disease. 47% have at least one of these risks factors. Diabetes, overweight/obesity, poor diet, physical inactivity, and excessive alcohol use (CDC, N.D.). Physical inactivity is one I would like to focus on, excerise in general can reduce you chances of heart disease but also will help in living a healthier lifestyle. Studies show that for every hour of walking, life expectancy may increase by two hours. Meanwhile, the heart-healthy benefits of exercising for just 30 minutes a day are nearly endless ( Go Red for Women Editors, N.D.) Just by doing any type of excerise; walking, running, and swimming; it reduces coronary heart disease in women 30-40 percent. Thats all it takes, is to tell yourself I want to do better for body and then do it.
Another big thing that can cause heart disease, is the foods consumed. Eating healthy isnt always the easiest thing in the world. Excuses are made why people choose not to eat healthy and the biggest excuse is “I just don’t have the time to cook heathly.” or “It’s just quicker to go out to eat.” Both of these excuses are very true but to live a heathly lifestyle you have to willing to change the way you eat. It can be very diffcult to change your diet after you have been doing it for so long. Here are some heart heathly diet steps to prevent heart disease. Control your diet, Eat more vegetables and fruits, select whole grains, limit unhealthy fats, choose low fat protein sources, reduce the sodium in your food, plan ahead, and allow yourself an occasional treat ( Heart Disease, 2015). Like I said, it does take time to change the way you eat but if you work at it little by little it will start to change.
In conclusion, Coronary Heart Disease is the most common with killing over 370,000 people a year (CDC, N.D.). Just looking at that number, wouldnt a person want to do whatever it takes to change it, make it go down and have less deaths alltogether. I have explained three different ways that can prevent yourself from getting heart disease. I know its not easy to change the way a personlives right away, but with time and working at it a person can make anything happen. Heart Disease may be the leading cause of death in both men and women but we as people can take every precaution we can to change the way we live alltogher.
By Marcy Combs