February may be known as the month of love, but it’s also American Heart Month. Our team at AFC Urgent Care Chapman Highway wants to suggest combining the two—love yourself by loving and caring for your heart! Read on as we take a look at steps you can take to improve your heart health.
Is Sitting Too Much Putting My Heart at Risk?
For the majority of us, our days are filled with going to work, attending extracurricular activities for our children and completing household tasks like cooking and cleaning. A lot of that time is spent sitting—not being physically active. That can be dangerous for our health, and it puts us at a higher risk of many medical conditions, including heart disease. In fact, people who live a sedentary lifestyle have double the risk of dying from heart disease than people who exercise for at least 30 minutes most days of the week. So get your heart pumping with some exercise!
Good Cardiovascular Workouts
- Walking
- Running
- Jumping rope
- Cycling
- Rowing
- Burpees
How Does Exercise Help Your Heart?
It’s pretty simple, actually! When you exercise, you’re working your muscles. Your heart is one of those muscles, and you can strengthen and boost its health with regular physical activity. Regular exercise gets your heart pumping and makes it run more efficiently. This allows it to more easily pump blood throughout the body, keeping everything running smoothly.
Other Benefits of Exercise
- Helps you maintain a healthy weight
- Improves your mood
- Lowers risk for certain cancers
- Improves your balance
- Reduces your risk of osteoporosis
- Gives you more energy
- Helps you sleep better
A checkup can help you gain a good understanding of your health and how you can improve it! Visit AFC Urgent Care Chapman Highway today—no appointment is needed.