I take care of my heart: 3 points a day is all it takes
Regardless of my age and health, I can keep the risk of cardiovascular disease at bay. Every day, I do 3 things for the health of my heart. With a simple and flexible routine, my possibilities are infinite: I replace a harmful habit with something that does me good, I relax and I strengthen my heart. 1, 2, 3, go!
I replace a bad habit with one that is better for my heart
Before I do my heart good, I list the habits in my lifestyle that can wear it out prematurely:
- Smoking
- Drinking alcohol
- Always travelling by car
- Sitting still
- Eating too much salt, sugar or fat
- Overindulging in red meat (at the expense of grains and vegetables)
- Not getting enough sleep
- Working too much (and leaving no room for leisure)
Then, I find small, beneficial actions: no untenable projects; my only goal is to do one simple thing per day. Here are some actions that I can be proud of when I go to bed:
- Today I replaced a cigarette with a glass of water.
- Today I tried a non-alcoholic cocktail as an aperitif.
- Today I parked 1 km from the cinema: I walked before and after my screening.
- Today, for breakfast, I had oatmeal porridge instead of a piece of pound cake.
- Today, instead of my usual Wednesday steak and chips, I had salmon, which is rich in omega-3s (and I loved the sweet potato puree with kale crackers that I never thought I would enjoy!)
- Today I turned off the TV an hour earlier to get more sleep.
- Today I spent an evening with friends. I will be even more motivated to work tomorrow.
The advantage is that I won’t get bored: no two days are alike. If I do something for my heart’s health today, I get 1 point!
I adopt (at least) one anti-stress behaviour per day
Stress is the enemy of my heart health. I set aside time each day to decompress. Again, my only rule is to do one of these things every day:
- I do a self-massage of my face, or any part of my body that I feel is in knots, for at least 5 minutes (or I get a massage, which is even better!).
- I follow a guided meditation session (5 to 20-25 minutes) in a comfortable place where I am not likely to be disturbed.
- I do a breathing exercise (10 minutes) in my bed, on the bus, in the car, at the office… It can be done anywhere!
- I air out the room or I go for a walk outside, ideally in nature.
- I yawn or stretch: This is simple and effective. I can practice as much as I like!
- Other heart-healthy activities.
If I have done at least one thing to relax and lower my blood pressure, I earn my second point!
I train the most important muscle in my body
The heart can develop throughout life. My third action of the day will be to exercise my heart muscle, slowly at first, then progressively harder!
To get to my third point, I spend 5 minutes a day activating my heart rate. I can do this without (too) much disruption to my daily routine. Here are some ideas:
- I go up and down stairs several times.
- I walk fast. My cardio challenge is to walk 500 steps in 5 minutes, but I have plenty of time to do it. If I walk for 5 minutes, whatever the pace, it counts!
- I dance to my favourite song.
- I do 5 one-minute sessions with a skipping rope (I can quickly increase to 2 x 3 two-minute sessions, etc.).
- I wash my windows or my car.
- I ride my bike to the shops.
- Other heart-pumping activities.
Did I gain 3 points today? What can I do tomorrow to succeed in my challenge? Step by step, I’m making progress toward a better lifestyle to take care of my heart. As soon as I feel the benefits of my new routine, I will want to do even more to feel good!
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