While heart health and how to prevent heart disease are important topics, many people in the United States – African Americans, in particular – remain at risk.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, African Americans ages 18-49 are almost twice as likely as Caucasians to die from heart disease. Additionally, about 33 percent of African Americans ages 35-49 and 61 percent ages 50-64 have high blood pressure, which is a major risk factor for heart disease.
However, there are many ways for you to lower your risk for heart disease, and one of the most important is by becoming physically active. National guidelines recommend at least 2 hours, 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week for adults, like brisk walking where your blood gets pumping and you are a little breathless. If you find yourself short of time, you can incorporate physical activity in small chunks, such as three 10-minute intervals per day, and still achieve some heart health benefits.
How Moving More Helps
When done regularly, physical activity can give your entire body – not just your heart – a boost. Getting your heart rate up and breaking a sweat can:
Strengthen heart muscles
Improve blood flow
Lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels
Help control weight
Ways to Become More Active Every Day
In addition to working toward at least 150 minutes of physical activity each week, it’s important to avoid being sedentary, when possible. You can do that by making choices that build activity in your day. Some examples include:
Taking the stairs
Printing at the printer farthest from your desk at work.
Getting off the bus one stop early
Parking in the farthest space from the door
Walking around while you are on the phone or having walking meetings
Being active with your children, including playing outdoors
Planning a vacation that includes physical activities
Playing basketball or taking a yoga class with friends instead of meeting up for drinks or a meal
Putting on some music and dancing
Check with Your Doctor
Certain physical activities are safe for most people. However, if you have a chronic health condition such as heart disease, arthritis or diabetes, talk with your doctor about the type and amount of physical activity that is right for your health.
Incorporating regular physical activity into your life can help your health in many ways, but it can be especially helpful for your heart. Find more heart-healthy facts and tips from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute at nhlbi.nih.gov.
Photo courtesy of Getty Images
Source: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Obesity, with corresponding ailments such as heart disease, high cholesterol and diabetes, is a well-chronicled public health issue and has many communities looking for ways to positively impact their residents.
What can prove to have an enduring impact on improving community health is a broad coalition of stakeholders coming together to create a culture of wellness. For example, the City of West Chicago, with its Healthy West Chicago initiative, is a case study in how to galvanize a community toward collective better health. With these modifiable tips from Mayor Ruben Pineda, other communities can work to improve the health and quality of life for residents.
Have a champion
Every major civic initiative needs someone to drive it, someone to assemble and activate the right roster of influencers, experts and activists. Progressive leaders concerned about community sustainability and resident health, such as city council members or those in influential positions within the community, make good candidates to spearhead the plan.
Enlist partners
To improve nutrition and increase physical activity in the City of West Chicago, Mayor Pineda reached out to community leaders in local government, education, health care, social services, faith-based entities, businesses and non-profits to initiate partnerships and secure funding to create the Healthy West Chicago Action Plan, a multi-year guide for promoting better health in the community.
Engage other community members
It is important to build awareness of your initiative and get buy-in from residents through consistent communication. One of the most important demographic segments to engage is children. Kids are open to change and are developing lifelong habits. They are also extremely influential with their parents, siblings and friends.
“The key to a sustainable, healthy future is to change the way the next generation thinks about nutrition and exercise,” Mayor Pineda said. “This makes the public school system critical to driving the behavioral changes that contribute to positive outcomes.”
Measure and adjust
Once your community’s health initiative is in action, assess it annually against the overarching plan and add, eliminate or improve components to continue the momentum toward a healthy community for generations to come.
Keep it fresh
A successful community-wide health initiative needs to continuously build on its momentum by adding new programs and participants. For example, Healthy West Chicago conducts sponsored activities such as free healthy cooking classes for students, a “Rethink Your Drink” campaign to educate community members about the harmful effects of consuming sugar-sweetened beverages, weekly community walks with the mayor and a community garden initiative, which promotes organic suburban agriculture and benefits both the environment and local families. In addition, providing ongoing updates about programs and offering online tools, such as activity trackers and interactive walking route maps, are ways to build interest and retain participants.
For more information about how to implement a health and wellness program in your city, contact Mayor Pineda’s office at (630) 293-2200 extension 135, or visit healthywestchicago.com.
Photo of Mayor Pineda walking with students courtesy of Healthy West Chicago
Photo of woman gardening courtesy of The GardenWorks Project
Source: City of West Chicago
When it seems that everyone around you is feeling under the weather, you can be your own best line of defense against getting sick. Help ward off sickness for yourself and your family with these self-care tips that help promote healthy habits and fight off illness.
Eat right. A diet that is rich in fruit and vegetables can give your body the immunity-boosting nutrients it needs to function properly. Avoid excess, empty calories and instead aim for meals that deliver a healthy balance of all food groups.
Wash, wash, wash. Kids and bacteria go hand-in-hand, literally. Kids’ hands are everywhere, including some surfaces that may be more susceptible to bacteria. Hand-washing is a simple way to encourage healthy habits all year round, and Softsoap Liquid Hand Soaps make it easy to gently wash away bacteria. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hand-washing is an important step to help avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others. You can find more hand-washing tips and information by visiting CDC.gov/handwashing.
Get up and move. Exercise is one of your strongest weapons against illness. A regular routine that gets your blood pumping is good for overall health and your immune system. It can help flush toxins and keep your body in top condition.
Just say no. When it comes to protecting yourself and your family, give yourself permission to draw hard lines about spending time with those who aren’t feeling well. Reschedule play dates or other events that might unnecessarily expose your family to germs.
Rest up. When your sleep schedule is off, so is your whole system, and that makes you more susceptible to illness. Everyone’s precise sleep requirements are different; you’ll know you’re getting enough if you feel rested when you wake up. If you’re not, and more overnight rest isn’t realistic, look for ways to sneak in some extra rest time during the day.
Enjoy the outdoors. Even when it’s cooler than you’d like, brief time outdoors can do plenty to lift your spirits and, in turn, your overall well-being. The fresh air and vitamin D from a bright, sunny day are free and easy ways to give your body a boost and help ward off illness.
Kickstart your healthy habits by visiting Softsoap.com.
Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
Source: Softsoap
