Seeing all of the hearts and expressions of love for Valentine’s Day is a great reminder that February is also National Heart Month – a time to focus making positive changes in your life to protect your heart. The heart is central to survival, so taking good care of it is essential. It is also important to make sure that your senior is doing what is best for their heart health too so they can live life to the fullest.
Here are just a few ways to protect the heart:
- Stay active: Try to engage in at least 30 minutes of physical exercise each day. This can be tough for seniors sometimes, but participating in adult day care activities can help them have more access to exercise – or chair-er-cise – opportunities with safe supervision.
- Eat a healthy diet: Limit sodium and focus on eating more fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins. A healthy diet can help to naturally reduce cholesterol and blood pressure, which are major contributors to heart problems.
- Reduce stress: Encourage your senior to practice meditation, yoga, or other activities that make them feel more calm and relaxed such as reading or listening to their favorite music.
- Stay hydrated: Drinking plenty of water helps the heart to pump more effectively and with less strain. It’s a good idea to keep drinking water throughout the day, not only when outside, doing physical activity, or during meals.
- Get screened: Seniors should get screenings for blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, and other conditions that can affect heart health. Keeping these issues well managed can reduce risk of damaging the heart or developing heart disease.
Foundation for Senior Care supports senior well-being by providing a variety of activities including cooking and exercise as part of its Senior Day Care program. In addition, seniors can schedule transportation to medical appointments so that they can stay on top of their health. Take steps for a healthier lifestyle to protect the heart today.
Let us know what else you’re doing to promote better heart health this month!
