National Heart Month: why you should adopt a healthier lifestyle

You may have noticed that during February we have been sharing our top tips for keeping your heart healthy over on Twitter, plus some very eye-catching snaps of the team wearing red, all for a very important cause - to raise awareness for National Heart Month.

Our aim this month has been to educate our followers about the importance leading a healthy lifestyle to prevent coronary heart disease and the devastating effects of the disease such as heart attacks and cardiac arrest. 

Coronary heart disease is responsible for more than 73,000 deaths each year in the UK, a shocking figure that can be drastically reduced if more people choose to adopt a healthier lifestyle.

There are a number of factors that cause heart disease; family history, over indulgence, high blood pressure, lack of exercise, smoking and stress. By keeping some of these factors under control, we can improve our health and add years to our lifespan.

We appreciate that once you get into the habit of diving onto the sofa after a hard day’s work or dunking chocolate biscuits into your cup of tea it can be hard to change your ways. Start small by introducing healthy meal plans or taking brisk walks creating more obtainable goals.

It’s all very well and good us telling you that drastic changes need to be made, but it’s in your hands, you must have the willpower and determination to see this through. Here are some interesting facts about heart disease that will make you think twice before indulging on sugary snacks and skipping gym sessions:

• Taking care of your teeth has a great impact on your heart health reducing the chances of heart attacks by 50%
• Statistically, more heart attacks occur on a Monday. This could be linked with the stress that the start of the week brings, it’s important to relax and see each week as a clean slate
• The chances of developing heart disease is doubled for individuals who don’t exercise regularly
• The amount of blood pumped by the heart in a lifetime can be replicated by a kitchen tap turned on fully for 45 years, that’s a great deal of strain so looking after your ticker should be high on your list of priorities
• Women are three times more likely to die from heart disease than breast cancer
• Approximately 1 in 6 men and 1 in 10 women die from heart disease each year

Does drastic action need to be taken to improve your lifestyle? Feel inspired with the help of our blog post on 10 tips guaranteed to improve your heart health.

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