Making the right lifestyle choices positively impacts heart health

By Dana Benson

Heart disease can have a number of causes – defects that develop while a baby is in the womb, side effects from medical conditions, medications and even genes. For a large number of people, heart disease is the result of lifestyle choices that include an unhealthy diet, lack of exercise, being overweight and smoking.

Just say no to certain behaviors

An important factor in preventing heart disease is to choose NOT to engage in unhealthy behaviors. If you are a smoker, there are many ways to stop and a physician can offer guidance in this area. Likewise, changes in your diet can make a meaningful difference. Switch to whole wheat bread, eat smaller portions, eat plenty of colorful fruits and veggies and stay away from fried foods.

Fit in exercise

Choosing to exercise and to make it an important part of your life is another way to prevent heart disease. Some of the latest data suggests that people need to fit in more than just 30 minutes a day. Instead, an hour a day may be a healthier dose of exercise in order to keep the heart pumping.

Exercising an hour a day seems like a daunting task, but there are ways to make it less of a chore and easier to fit into your life.

Remember that your full hour of exercise does not have to be at the gym, and it doesn't have to be done all at one time. You might get up in the morning and hop on a treadmill or bike for half an hour. At night, try sit-ups, push-ups or lunges at home while watching television. Added together, it's an hour of exercise.

It's important to do exercise that you enjoy or you won't stick with it. If you really can't stand the gym, do something else. If you're a dog lover, get exercise by taking that best friend for a vigorous walk. Nature lovers can get their outdoor fix and stay healthy by going for a hike. If you find water relaxing, try swimming laps.

Time to Zumba

For some, the structure of a one-hour class of some sort is the best option. There are so many to choose from – cycling, weight lifting, aerobics. Even a quick search online will lead to many free exercise video options to watch from your computer.

If exercise routines still don't pique you interest, try dance. One of the latest crazes is a dance-oriented cardio class called Zumba. "This is the preferred choice of Baylor’s Dr. Christie Ballantyne, professor of medicine and chief of cardiovascular research section at BCM. If it's good enough for a leading cardiologist, it's good enough for me.”