Support Your Heart During American Heart Month: Tips to a Healthy Heart

American Heart Month, celebrated every February, is a time to bring attention to our heart health. Together, we can motivate others to adopt a healthy lifestyle to prevent heart disease.

Your heart is one of the most vital organs in your body, and cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. However, our heart health is largely in our control. There are many lifestyle habits that can help manage your blood pressure and reduce your risk of heart attack, stroke and other heart diseases. Keep reading to explore some of the best tips we’ve found at The Oaks at Denville to support your heart health.

4 Top Heart Healthy Tips

• Get Up and Move – Perhaps the most evident tip to ensure heart health is exercise. By incorporating physical fitness into your routine three or four times a week, you’re able to lower your blood pressure and make your heart stronger. Aerobic activities, like walking, light jogging and swimming, engage your heart for long periods of time and are among the most effective ways to improve heart health.
• Keep a Healthy Diet – Healthy eating contributes to a multitude of health benefits, including lower blood pressure and a healthier heart. One diet plan specifically encouraged to ensure heart heath is Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, or DASH. This plan, promoted by the American Heart Association and Mayo Clinic, emphasizes fresh fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy, whole grains and lean proteins.
• Minimize Stress – Close your eyes. Take a deep breath. Relax. Cleveland Clinic finds that stress affects blood pressure and cholesterol levels, causes irregular heart rhythms and damages arteries – all factors that can increase risk of heart disease. Although stress is sometimes inevitable, learning how to manage stress helps combat heart disease. Some ways to manage stress include connecting with others, practicing meditation and learning relaxation exercises.
• Visit Your Doctor – Make an annual trip to the doctor to get your blood pressure and cholesterol checked to ensure your heart is functioning properly. Discuss healthy lifestyle habits that can help you maintain heart health, and be sure to talk to your doctor if you find your stress is overwhelming.

Achieve Heart Healthy Living at The Oaks at Denville

At The Oaks at Denville, we offer healthy lifestyle opportunities through LivWell, our award-winning holistic wellness program. Here are a couple of ways you can improve your heart health right in our community:

• Visit our newly renovated dining area for healthy food choices. Our chefs create delicious, nutritious meals that feature seasonal ingredients and culturally diverse menus. We ensure quality in every meal we prepare.
• Participate in one of our many fitness classes, like chair yoga and 30-minute cardio zone. And along with access to the fitness center, you also have the chance to use our indoor heated pool for a low-impact cardio exercise option available year-round.
• Take a moment to relax. Whether it be spending some quiet time in your lovely open concept apartment, diving into a good book from our library or letting us pamper you in the beauty salon, taking a moment to yourself resets your mind and lets you focus on the most important thing: you.

Contact us today to learn more about the heart healthy activities and amenities at The Oaks at Denville.