6 Lifestyle Changes That Can Help Improve Heart Health

Some lifestyle changes support your heart health and help keep your heart working properly, such as eating a heart-healthy diet, exercising, and quitting tobacco. If you have a heart condition or are at risk for heart disease, lifestyle changes, regular medical checkups, and using any medications as directed can help improve your heart health.

1. Prioritize Nutrition

Choose nutrient-dense foods to protect your heart health. Focus on a varied diet of fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy, lean meats, and whole grains.

Avoid or minimize processed meats, added sugars, sodium, saturated fats, and sugar-sweetened beverages. Swap sugary drinks for plain water, milk, or unsweetened tea.

Talk to a healthcare professional, such as a registered dietitian, for support.

2. Exercise Regularly

People who are inactive are nearly twice as likely to develop heart disease. Current guidelines recommend 150 minutes a week of moderate, heart-pumping activity. That breaks down to 30 minutes a day, five times a week. However, you can break that down even further to suit your schedule.

If you don’t have an established exercise routine, try new types of physical activity. If you’re new to exercise, consult a healthcare provider first, and start slowly to avoid injury or other complications.

3. Maintain a Healthy Weight

Maintaining a healthy weight for your body can improve blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar numbers. A loss of 5-10% of your body weight can make a difference in your health. (If you’re 200 pounds, that’s a 10- to 20-pound loss). Eating healthier and moving more can both assist with weight loss.

4. Sleep Well

Poor sleep can contribute to your cardiovascular (heart) disease risk. Most adults need seven to nine hours each night. Make small changes to improve your sleep habits, such as going to bed slightly earlier each night or staying off your phone before bedtime.

Speak with a healthcare provider if you still have trouble getting enough sleep. A medical condition like insomnia or sleep apnea may be affecting your ability to sleep well.

5. Avoid Tobacco

Tobacco contributes to heart health risks, so the best thing you can do is avoid tobacco in all of its forms, including e-cigarettes and vaping. If you smoke, seek help to quit. Many resources are available, and your healthcare provider can also point you in the right direction.

6. Monitor Your Health

If you monitor your blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar, it can reveal a lot about your health. Maintain regular health checkups where these numbers are tracked, and make sure you have a copy of your numbers in case you need to see them.

Some people monitor their daily activity through devices like smartwatches.

When to See a Healthcare Provider

Sometimes, lifestyle changes may not be enough to support your heart health. A healthcare provider may prescribe medications to maintain or improve your heart health in these cases.

• If you have high blood pressure: Heart medications like angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors may lower your blood pressure, decreasing your risk for heart issues or a stroke.
• If you have high cholesterol: Medications may lower your cholesterol numbers and reduce the chance of a medical event like a heart attack.
• If you manage a heart condition: You may have to take more than one type of heart medication to manage a heart condition. That’s because the medications may do different things to help your heart.

Talk to your prescribing healthcare provider if you’re having trouble with side effects or with managing your dosage. They may be able to recommend alternative medications. However, don’t stop taking any medications without getting the approval of your healthcare team.