Three Steps to a Healthier Heart
Home Care in Manassas City VA
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. In fact, a person dies just about every 30 seconds in our country and it is responsible for one in every five deaths. Heart disease is common in every race and in both men and women. While it can develop in anyone, the risk of developing heart disease is higher for those individuals who already have conditions such as diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, and/or high blood cholesterol.
If you are supporting an elderly loved one in her golden years, there are three key lifestyle choices that you can help her make to reduce her risk of heart disease. When you can’t be there all the time, home care can help your senior loved one in her effort to live a healthier lifestyle.
Three Steps to a Lifestyle that Promotes Heart Health
Get Moving and Keep Moving
Regular exercise is an important part of being healthy and while planning for a 30-minute walk a day is great, if your loved one then spends the next 23.5 hours of the day sitting or lying down, it may not be enough. Help him work little movements into his day to keep his body moving throughout the day. That can mean that commercial time while watching TV is movement time. Or it can mean he parks far away from the entrance at a store so he gets extra steps in. Every little bit of activity helps.
Eat Like Your Heart Depends Upon It
What your loved one eats is a huge part of having a healthy heart. He should strive to include fresh foods and reduce the amount of processed foods. Foods high in trans fat, sodium, and added sugars can lead to health concerns that directly affect his heart health like diabetes and high cholesterol.
Relax, Recharge, and Reinvigorate
While not all stress can be avoided, helping your loved one find healthier ways to deal with stressful situations can help reduce the stress put on his heart and the damage it may cause. Four tips for reducing stress include peaceful meditation, deep breathing techniques, mindful body movements like yoga to tai chi, and finding a support group when life hands your loved one a long-term stressful event (such as an illness diagnosis or the death of a loved one).
Finding Someone to Support a Healthy Lifestyle Change
If your loved one doesn’t already practice these three top tips for a healthier heart, he might need some support in implementing lifestyle changes and sticking to them. Many people start strong, only to fall back into unhealthy habits because of boredom, loss of interest, or an inability to find someone to support and encourage them throughout their journey to better health.
A home care provider can be a great asset to your loved one’s better health team. By talking to a home care provider about special dietary changes or regular exercise goals, your loved one’s home care provider can be a resource to get him what he needs to succeed. A home care provider can help him shop for the right foods at the store, provide transportation to the local senior center for physical activity, and even reduce stress levels by helping around the home so your loved one can focus on his health instead of his laundry.
Making changes for healthier living isn’t always easy, but with support, your loved one can improve his heart health.
Reference
https://www.cdc.gov/heart-disease/data-research/facts-stats/index.html
If you or an aging loved one are considering home care in Manassas City, VA, please contact the caring staff at LivinRite Home Care. Serving Northern Virginia, The Valley, and Surrounding Communities – call us today at (703) 369-6677.
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