Your heart and lungs form some of the most crucial organs in your body, performing a plethora of vital bodily functions that are necessary for your existence. Our lifestyle often consists of seemingly trivial rituals that end up causing immense harm to these organs, and as a result, pose as a signal for impending hospital visits and caddies full of medical bills.
Tips To Improve Heart And Lung Health
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While medical intervention becomes necessary in most cases, there are a few steps that you can take all by yourself if you wish to improve the condition of your heart and your health. So, what exactly are these improvement techniques? Read on to find out.
- Watch what you consume –
Your diet plays a critical role in determining the health of your heart. Due to the availability of cheap, processed foods and a busy lifestyle, most of us may find ourselves nourishing our bodies with food items that are rich in added sugars, trans fats, and other harmful ingredients. In order to improve the condition of your heart, switch to heart-friendly food which helps you maintain a steady weight and keep a close lookout for a calorie overload. Consume foods that are rich in helpful nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates, et cetera. Incorporating healthy herbs and spices, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds as well as healthy fats is a good way to preserve and strengthen the functionality of your heart.
- Quit smoking –
Smoking leads to some devastating consequences on your body, the effects of which can be majorly traced back to your heart and the lungs. People who smoke regularly often find themselves at the helm of heart-related ailments and respiratory disorders. If you wish to improve the condition of both these organs, then it is imperative for you to throw away that pack of cigarettes and lead a smoke-free life. If you find it hard to quit immediately, then the best approach would involve a gradual decline in the consumption of tobacco until you can finally remove its presence from your life entirely. You can even make use of nicotine patches to help you quit smoking effectively.
- Exercise regularly –
Following a fit lifestyle has been on most of our radars during recent times, especially since the new fitness wave has been taking the whole world by storm. This positive movement is definitely something that you should latch onto. Exercising is extremely crucial in order to improve the working of your heart, as well as promote blood flow and the condition of your lungs. Adopt a workout that works with your schedule so that you are motivated enough to follow it regularly. A few examples would include running, calisthenics, dancing, swimming, cycling, yoga, tai chi, et cetera. If you find it hard to motivate yourself to keep up with a workout regime, then it is suggested that you appoint a workout buddy in order to inspire you to keep following the routine. It might help to remember that you can follow a gradual process, by slowly acquainting your body into moving through the usage of staircases instead of elevators, cycling to nearby places, and walking around the block, among others.
- Reduce your exposure to harmful pollutants –
In this pollution-laden world, it can be quite difficult to avoid the woes of a contaminated environment. However, there are a few steps that you can adopt in order to reduce your exposure to harmful pollutants which are quite detrimental to the functioning of your lungs. Reduce the amount of dust in your own home by vacuuming regularly, avoid stepping out of your house during peak periods of air pollution and make use of masks if at all you are obligated to be in a place where pollution levels are high.
- Practice deep breathing –
Regularly taking deep inhales and exhales is extremely good for your lungs, since it improves their flexibility and helps in clearing the air in the lungs. Taking deep breaths at regular intervals throughout the day can also have a very calming effect on your mind and body, thus freeing your body from quite a bit of stress. This reduction in stress can work wonders when it comes to improving the condition of your heart since quite a few heart problems are triggered by an excess of stress in your life.
Conclusion
Your lungs and heart are very important organs of the body, and as such taking care of them should be one of your top priorities. With increasing age, the risk of developing disorders affecting the lungs and heart become very pressing, so make use of the aforementioned techniques in order to lessen any such risks and to improve your ability to enjoy life with a healthy heart and a pair of happy lungs.
Amanda Wingfield is a certified Diabetes Management Specialist who also holds an MD in Endocrinology, with certifications from ABIM and AACE. She has a decade of experience serving thousands of patients through her independent practice and has been working in the capacity of an expert diabetes consultant for the past 4 years. Ms. Wingfield is revered by her regular readers for her in-depth research and evidence-based analysis of diabetes medications, supplements, and treatments, and her highly critical style of writing.