While it is true that thousands of people suffer from heart disease yearly, it doesn’t mean you can’t prevent it. A healthy heart is essential for general wellness, and a healthy lifestyle can help prevent heart disease and minimize your chance of having a heart attack or stroke at any age. It is never too late or too soon to start caring for your heart. The earlier you start making healthy choices, the longer you will be able to reap the advantages. Here are a few changes you can do to lead a healthy life:
Easy on that Tobacco
Giving up smoking or using smokeless tobacco is one of the greatest things you can do for your heart. Even if you don’t smoke, you should avoid secondhand smoke. Tobacco contains chemicals that can harm the heart and blood vessels. Cigarette smoke deprives the oxygen in the blood, raising blood pressure and pulse rate as the heart has to work harder to give enough oxygen to the body and brain. But there is some good news. The risk of heart disease begins to decline as soon as a day after stopping. After a year of not smoking, the risk of heart disease is around half that of a smoker. You’ll start reaping benefits as soon as you quit smoking, no matter how long or how much you smoked.
Groove to the Music
Dancing, whether to a rumba beat or a two-step music, is a fantastic heart-healthy activity. It elevates your heart rate and gets your lungs pounding, much like other kinds of aerobic exercise. According to the Mayo Clinic, it can also burn up to 200 calories or more every hour.
Throw a Laugh
Don’t just LOL online; laugh aloud in your everyday life. Whether you enjoy watching comedies or cracking jokes with your pals, laughing may benefit your heart. According to the American Heart Association, laughing can lower stress hormones, reduce artery inflammation, and increase high-density lipoprotein (HLD) levels, popularly known as “good cholesterol.”
Keep an Eye on Those Stats
Controlling your blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, and triglycerides are critical for heart health. Discover the best levels for your gender and age group. Take the necessary procedures such as glucose screening test or CBC blood test to achieve and maintain such levels. Remember to visit your doctor frequently. Keep solid notes of your vitals or lab statistics and bring them to your appointments for a smooth visit with your doctor.
All these tips can help you start your journey leading a healthy heart; remember that a happy heart is a happy life, so we encourage you to find and explore your happy place, a positive attitude may be beneficial to your heart as well as your emotions. Chronic stress, worry, and rage might increase your chances of developing heart disease and stroke. Maintaining a happy attitude may help you live a healthy life for longer. If you want to learn and know more about Coronary Artery Disease, the risk factors and more lifestyle tips to prevent other heart diseases, you can watch our Kumusta ang Puso Mo? A Webinar on How to Maintain a Healthy Heart.
Sources and Reference
- Strategies To Prevent Heart Disease. Mayo Clinic, January 14, 2022
- Lifestyle Changes For Heart Attack Prevention, American Heart Association, July 31, 2025