Celebrating Heart Health: A Valentine's Journey to Senior Wellness

A valentine from your sweetheart may make your heart go pitter-patter, but there’s quite a bit more that goes into taking good care of your heart. In fact, heart health is among the biggest priorities for senior health and wellness.

According to the American Heart Association, heart disease is the nation’s leading cause of death — and has been for more than a century. The good news is, although some risk factors are beyond your control, you can take control of your heart health and reduce your risk. In fact, at least 80% of heart disease can be prevented through behavior and lifestyle.

Improve Your Heart Health

Knowing heart disease is preventable is one thing, but knowing specifically what you can do to protect yourself is another. Here are some simple, practical ways seniors can minimize their risk and improve their heart health:

Enjoy a heart-healthy menu. Whether you’re preparing food in your own kitchen or taking advantage of nutritious chef-prepared meals in the Oaks dining room, managing your diet can affect your heart health. That means eating more foods that are high in fiber and plenty of nutrient-rich whole foods like fruits and vegetables. Allowing yourself an occasional treat is fine, but protecting your heart health also means cutting back on saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, salt and sugar. It’s also smart to limit your alcohol, since drinking can raise your blood pressure.

Make cardiovascular exercise a priority. Staying active as you age is important for many reasons, but getting your blood pumping regularly is a big one. You can choose from a wide range of cardiovascular exercises, and the best part is, most of them can easily be adjusted to accommodate your abilities. Solo activities like walking, biking or swimming are all good options, or you might prefer joining group senior fitness classes to get your heart rate up and promote better blood and oxygen flow.

Educate yourself on heart health and risks. Arming yourself with information is another way you can protect your heart. Look for opportunities to attend heart health seminars and other events that provide health education for seniors. At Westwood, you can even attend cooking demonstrations where you can sample superfoods while you learn more about healthy eating.

Practice smart senior health and wellness habits. Part of protecting your heart health is paying close attention to your overall wellness as you continue to age. In addition to talking with your doctor about your personal risk and scheduling regular senior health check-ups, it’s important to manage any existing conditions, such as diabetes, that could elevate your risk. Managing stress and maintaining social connections are other examples of senior self-care; they promote stronger mental health but can also play a role in your physical well-being.

Explore resources for heart-related health care. If you do experience a heart-related event such as a heart attack or stroke, you may require specialized care during your recovery. Knowing where you can find quality senior heart care in your community can help get you back to enjoying everyday life faster. At Riverside Senior Life, therapy services are provided by licensed physical therapists, occupational therapists and speech-language pathologists. The nurturing environment helps restore your confidence as you heal.

We’d love to share more of our heart-friendly resources with you. Contact us to schedule a tour so you can learn more about our senior health and wellness programs that make it easy to create a plan and stick to it.