By Donna V. Scaglione
Today — Valentine’s Day — show your heart some love. Heart disease is the No. 1 killer in the United States and in the entire industrialized world. Each year, more than 500,000 people across the country die of heart attacks.
But heart disease is preventable — and even reversible, medical experts say — by managing your weight, getting regular exercise, and eating lots of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and little meat. Consider these ways of taking good care of your heart, and show your ticker some love — starting today.
1. Go dancing
Or take a walk, go swimming, or work hard in your garden. Physical exercise that works the heart is critically important for cardiovascular health. It also will make you look and feel better as you slim down and those feel-good endorphins kick in. Plus, it will give you more energy and strength for everyday chores around the house. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that most adults get at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise a day at least five days a week. Dr. Chauncey Crandall, Newsmax Health contributor and editor of the Heart Health Report, encourages people over 50 to get even more — one hour a day — in an effort to lose and keep weight off.
