Keeping your heart healthy should be something that you are constantly striving for, no matter what age you are. Even if you are struggling with mobility issues or various health complaints, there are steps you can take to keep your ticker ticking to a healthy beat.
At ALS Stairlifts, we are specialists in heavy duty, refurbished, straight and curved stairlifts, and we know how much strain your heart can be under if it isn’t cared for properly, especially if you are having trouble getting around your home and straining it even more.
We’ve put together 3 tips that will help keep your heart healthy and happy, no matter how old or mobile you are!
Eat a Balanced Diet
Eating a well balanced diet is one of the best ways to keep your heart in good shape.
Make sure that you are trying to incorporate the Government guideline of 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day. Keeping this in mind, try and balance your intake of fibre and vitimins and minerals as well.
Meat, eggs, fish and dairy products are good sources of protein, and eaten in moderation can help keep your heart functioning correctly. Wholegrain bread, rice and pasta is also preferable to their other variants, especially when it comes to caring for your heart.
Exercise
No, we’re not asking you to go and sign up at your local gym and become the next “World’s Strongest Man or Woman”. Even 20 minutes of gentle exercise can do wonders for your heart.
Your heart is a muscle, and a pretty important muscle at that! Like all muscles, getting your heart working will in turn make it work more effectively as it tones back up and is able to deal with more stress which is put on it. Go for a short walk at your own pace for around 20 minutes every day, that’s all it takes!
Alternatively, if you are feeling a bit more adventurous and are physically able to take part, take the advice of one of our previous blogs and enrol in a yoga class. Yoga is an excellent way of getting your heart working in a calm, controlled way.
Monitor Your Alcohol Intake
Alcohol can cause Cardiac Arrhythmia, which is a rhythm abnormality in the heart’s beat. It can also damage and weaken the muscles of the heart which work hard to pump blood all around your body.
This is why it is so important to watch how much alcohol you are taking in, and sticking to the recommended limits. For all you a ladies out there, that’s 3 units a day, while all you gents are recommended to stick to 4 units a day.
A single unit of alcohol is equivalent to half a pint of average strength beer, cider or lager. If you are drinking at home, the container will state how many units your drink will have in it, so keep an eye on how much you are actually taking in per measure.
In order to be able to stay mobile and feel fitter for longer, it’s so important to remember to look after your body as a whole. You heart has such an important job to do, and we think that is deserves more credit than it gets, especially when its job is made harder by mobility and health issues.
That’s why we provide only the best stairlift solutions to our customers. Rather than putting your heart under unnecessary stress due to not being able to climb the stairs very well, our stairlifts transport you safely and effectively to the upper and lower floors of your home, with no effect on your heart. We still recommend getting a bit of exercise in every day, which you can discuss with your doctor if you are unsure of what you can take part in.
At ALS Stairlifts, we think that everyone should be able to enjoy being able to get around their own house in a safe and effective way. If you are interested in seeing how a stairlift can benefit you in your home, contact us at ALS Stairlifts on 0800 046 3438 and we’ll be happy to discuss our services and products with you to find the perfect stairlift solution for your needs.