HEALTHY LIFESTYLE

Besides watching what you eat, there are other lifestyle areas that you can address to improve your heart health such as keeping an eye on your weight and shape, and keeping up with regular exercise.



If you have any concerns about any aspect of your heart health, your health care professional should be your first point of contact.

Physical Activity

There are many ways in which regular physical activity will improve your life:

• It lowers 'bad' LDL-cholesterol and raises 'good' HDH-cholesterol
• It helps keep your blood pressure in check
• It is the key to long-term weight control
• It's fun!!
• It gives you more energy
• you benefit from improved mental health and well being - it reduces stress, improves self-esteem and helps you sleep well at night

Start slowly, aiming to work up to at least 30 minutes of moderate activity, like walking, on most days of the week. While 30 minutes of physical activity might initially sound like a lot, the good news is that as little as ten minutes of continuous physical activity, performed 3 times throughout the day, can have similar health benefits as 30 minutes performed all at once!

Consider the following exercise tips:

1. Walk everywhere
   Walking is an easy way to keep in good shape. It has low impact on the joints and can be done anywhere, anytime. Walk to work, walk home, walk to the shops, walk everywhere - just walk! Aim for 30 minutes a day.
   A great way to measure how far you are walking is to use a pedometer. They are small and easy to use, clip it onto your belt and away you go. Aim for 10000 steps per day to maximise results.
2. Do what you enjoy
   Select activities you enjoy find satisfying and give you a feeling of accomplishment. This way motivation won't be a problem. At the end of the day the best exercise is one you will do regularly and enjoy!
3. Train with a friend
   Make a regular appointment to exercise with a friend. You can use each other for support and motivation. Having an appointment to meet someone means you will be less likely to skip the session.
4. Keep a diary
   Keep a record of your activities in a physical activity diary. This will help you keep track of what you are doing and how successful you are. Review your goals regularly. For example, when you successfully complete your initial goals, consider revising them - and making them a little more challenging.
5. Stick with it!
   There may be days where you just don't feel like exercising. This happens to the best of us, but stick with it and you will be heartily rewarded!

Becoming more active is generally encouraged. However, anyone with an existing health problem should consult their health care professional before beginning a new program of physical activity.

Keeping Weight and Shape

Your weight and shape have a significant influence on your overall wellbeing and your health. If you consume more energy via food and drinks than you use during your daily and physical activities, your weight will go up. Being overweight can increase the health risk factors to your health, e.g. blood pressure, blood cholesterol.

You can check whether your current weight or body shape is likely to affect your heart health by checking your waist size and working out your Body Mass Index (BMI).

Waist Circumference

In terms of heart health, your waist circumference is thought to be an even better measure than your BMI - you just need to find out whether you're an apple or a pear!

If you carry excess weight around your middle, it's often referred to as 'apple-shaped', while if you carry that weight on your hips it's referred to as 'pear-shaped'. Studies have shown that apple-shaped people may face greater heart health risks than their 'pear-shaped' equivalents.

You can find out which you are by measuring your waist size. Use the table below to see if you could benefit from making some healthy changes to your diet and lifestyle.



Body Mass Index

This is based on your height and weight and can be worked out by dividing your weight in kilograms by your height in metres (squared); that is BMI = weight/height2.

For example, if you are 1.75 metres tall and weigh 73 kilograms, then the formula would read BMI = 73/1.752 which equals 23.84 and is in the healthy range.

Are you a healthy weight? Find out by taking our quick BMI test

If your BMI is:

• less than 18.5, you might need to gain weight
• 19 to below 25, you should aim to stay that way
• 25 to below 30 means you're overweight - it's a good idea to lose some weight for your heart's sake
• over 30 means you're very overweight. You should visit your health care professional for a health check and get advice and support to manage your weight and health

No Stress

Not all stress is bad for us. In fact, for most of us, some challenges in our lives are motivating and keep us happy. However, it is the everyday experience of strain, time pressure, and tensions of coping with the demands of everyday life, that affect our well-being.

Being late for meetings, being kept waiting in traffic, facing demands from several people at once and relationship problems are all examples of negative stress in our lives. Studies have shown that long-term stress can affect blood pressure and influence heart health.

Think about the times of stress in your life. By learning to understand the stress in your life, you are already well on your way to dealing with it. Try to make gradual changes to the stress factors in your life and to your attitude towards them.

Quit Smoking

It is never too late to stop smoking. Before you even try to stop, it's important to think about what you stand to gain.

Within hours... Get your breath back! Smokers often become short of breath more quickly than non-smokers. This is because smoking restricts the body's capacity to carry oxygen.

Within days... Smoking interferes with the senses of taste and smell, making food less enjoyable. These senses begin to return a few days after stopping smoking. Enjoy food!

Within months... Besides living longer as a result of stopping smoking, you can also look younger. Smoking can increase the appearance of facial wrinkles, often making smokers look older than non-smokers of the same age.

Thinking about quitting? Call the Quitline on 0800 778 778 for more information.