Your Health and Wellness Holistic Living Blog

Why Do My Muscles Ache

August 16, 2022 By Heather

Stop suffering and living in pain due to aching muscles. Knowing why your muscles ache will help you seek help before the muscle pain becomes crippling.

yourfootpalace.com gathered information on common reasons your muscles ache and how to make the pain and discomfort go away.

What is Muscle Pain

Muscle pain, or myalgia, is a sign, or result of an injury, infection, disease or other health problem. You may feel a deep, steady ache or random sharp pains. Some people can experience muscle pain all over, while others have it in specific areas. Everyone experiences and copes with muscle pain differently. Consider the following:

Back Pain (Dorsopathy)

Back pain can range from a single muscle aching to a severe shooting, burning, or stabbing sensation. The pain may radiate down your leg or worsen with bending, twisting, lifting, standing, or walking.

Potential Causes – Back pain can have causes that are not due to any underlying or preexisting disease or condition. Examples include overuse like working out or lifting too much, prolonged sitting, sleeping in an uncomfortable or cramped position, or wearing a poorly fitting backpack.
Treatment – Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), like ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, and others) or naproxen sodium (Aleve), can help relieve back pain. Take these over-the-counter medications only when directed or prescribed by your doctor. Overuse can cause serious side effects.
When to Seek Help – If your back pain lasts more than two weeks and keeps you from participating in normal, routine activities, see your primary care physician. If your pain is severe, you should see your doctor sooner. You should seek urgent/emergency medical care if you have a fever or chest pains associated with your back pain.
Prevention – Combine exercise (walking or swimming) with specific exercises to keep your back and abdomen core muscles strong and flexible. Strengthening your core muscles will help support your spine and can help prevent back pain. Proper lifting techniques, good posture, and frequent massages can also help prevent back pain.

Neck Pain (Cervicalgia)

People often describe this as having a stiff neck. Cervicalgia is any localized neck pain not radiating to other parts of the body. This is a common condition, as about two-thirds of all people will experience neck pain at some point in their lives.

Potential Causes – Common causes may include osteoarthritis, spinal stenosis, a herniated disc, a pinched nerve, mental and physical stress and strain, poor posture, tumors, poor sleeping position, and other health conditions.
Treatment – Alternating an ice pack with a heating pad several times for 30 minutes, gentle stretching, and massage can help relieve neck pain. Taking an over-the-counter pain medication like ibuprofen, acetaminophen, or naproxen may also help.
When to Seek Help – Seek immediate/emergency medical care if your neck pain is accompanied by numbness or weakness in your arms or hands or if you have shooting pain in your shoulders or down your arms.
Prevention – Get up and move around every half-hour. Prolonged sitting has been linked to worsening neck pain. When using your phone, a headset, earbuds, or speakerphone are excellent options to keep your head in a neutral position. And when reading a book, hold it, so you don’t have to lean down or forward to read it.

Elbow Pain (lateral epicondylitis)

Often called tennis elbow, this is a painful condition occurring when tendons in your elbow are overloaded or overextended, usually from repetitive wrist and arm motions. Despite the name, athletes aren’t the only people who can develop tennis elbow.

Potential Causes – A common cause of elbow pain is the inflammation of one or both of the elbow’s tendons. This is called tendonitis, and it often results from overuse. Repetitive movements from work, household chores, golf, or tennis can affect the muscles above and below the elbow and cause tendonitis.
Treatment – Applying an ice pack several times for 15 minutes, rest, compression, elevation, and massage can help relieve neck pain. Taking an over-the-counter pain medication like ibuprofen, acetaminophen, or naproxen may also help.
When to Seek Help – Seek emergency care if you detect a deformity or protruding bone in your elbow, and immediately call your doctor if you experience severe pain, trouble moving your elbow, turning your arm from palm up to palm down and vice versa, and swelling or bruising around the joint.
Prevention – Warm up properly and gently stretch your arm muscles before any physical activities or playing a sport involving repetitive arm movements. Avoid putting extra strain on your tendons.

Foot Pain (Plantar fasciitis)

Plantar fasciitis (a common cause of heel and foot pain) is an inflammation of the fibrous tissue (plantar fascia) along the bottom of your foot, connecting your heel bone to your toes. This condition can cause intense, debilitating heel pain.

Potential Causes – Plantar fasciitis and foot pain, in general, can occur from arthritis, Injury, overuse, or conditions causing inflammation involving any of the bones, ligaments, or tendons in the foot.
Treatment – Rest your affected foot as much as possible, avoiding activities that worsen pain, and icing the affected area for up to 20 minutes multiple times daily may help relieve the pain. Taking an over-the-counter pain medication such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or naproxen may also help. Regular foot massages can also help accelerate your foot’s recovery.
When to Seek Help – Seek immediate medical care if you have an open wound or deformity, you experience severe pain or swelling, you can’t bear any weight on your foot, or it is showing signs of infection, like redness or fever.
Prevention – Most foot pain can be prevented by maintaining a healthy weight, avoiding high-heel shoes, wearing shoes that fit, getting regular foot massages and pedicures, and keeping yourself well-hydrated.

Preventing, treating, and relieving plantar fasciitis pain is possible, so follow the above info and end your discomfort and nagging pain.

Muscle Pain

In this article, you discovered essential information about common reasons you may experience muscle pain, how to treat it, and when to seek medical attention.

Knowing what to do when you have muscle pain will help you recover more quickly and return to your normal activities.

Ignoring your muscle pain can lead to severe injuries, immobility, and even hospitalization if left undiagnosed and untreated.

Disclaimer: No content on this publication, page, or site, regardless of date or topic, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your primary care physician or other qualified clinician.

Sources:
my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/17669-muscle-pain
mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/back-pain/symptoms-causes/syc-20369906
health.harvard.edu/pain/3-tips-to-prevent-neck-pain
hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/foot-pain-and-problems

Foot Palace Massage Spa Athens

196 Alps Rd Ste 31, Athens, GA 30606
(706) 521-5290

Foot Palace Massage Spa Braselton

2095 Highway 211 NW Suite 7B, Braselton, GA 30517
(678) 963-5958

Benefits of Massage Therapy

July 14, 2022 By Heather

Keep stress, inactivity, and low energy from stealing your health and wellbeing. Knowing how regular massages can benefit your wellness will help you live a better, healthier, and happier life.

yourfootpalace.com gathered information on the benefits of massage therapy and how it can change your life for the better.

What is Massage Therapy?

Massage therapy is defined as muscle and other soft tissue manipulation (as by stroking, kneading, rubbing, or applying pressure with one or both hands or an instrument) by a massage therapist for therapeutic purposes.

Massage Therapy in Medicine

Massage is typically considered part of integrative medicine. Nationwide, medical centers are offering it more frequently as a supplemental treatment along with standard treatment. Massage therapy may be used for a wide range of medical conditions.

Massage Benefits

Massage therapy can benefit anyone’s health and wellness, but it can also help those with conditions like cancer, heart disease, stomach problems, and fibromyalgia. Those with a medical condition should talk to their therapist about it before your first massage session. Here are some of the benefits of massage therapy:

Massage Reduces Stress and Anxiety – The calm feeling you experience after a massage aids in significantly reducing stress and anxiety. Consider that the body has two nervous systems:

The sympathetic nervous system driving the “fight or flight” response in stressful situations
The parasympathetic nervous system focusing on routine operations that lead to rest and relaxation.

Massage therapy can increase the parasympathetic response, which decreases feelings of stress and anxiety.

Massage Lessens Fibromyalgia Symptoms – Using massage therapy over a five-week period can reduce the impact of fibromyalgia symptoms (a chronic illness causing muscle and joint pain and extreme fatigue).

Massage Relieves Pain – For those undergoing cancer (and other medical) treatments, the physical and emotional anxiety can be overwhelming. Regular massage therapy sessions are known to significantly increase relaxation and improve one’s quality of life.

Massage Reduces Muscle Tension and Pain – Massage helps lessen pain like:

Acute back pain
Neck pain
Headaches
Knee pain (knee osteoarthritis)
Hand arthritis
Sports injuries

Receiving a 60-minute massage multiple times per month will likely produce better results than fewer or more random massages.

Massage Can Improve Mental Health and Awareness – Massage therapy offers benefits for several mental health conditions, including:

Depression
Anxiety
Stress

Research also demonstrates that massage helps those with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) by improving one’s mood and significantly boosting energy levels.

Massage Therapy Can Strengthen Relationships – Whether it be friendship or the love of your life, a shared massage therapy experience can significantly deepen your relationship and sense of trust in each other.

Read more about the benefits of couples massages at yourfootpalace.com/everything-to-know-about-couples-massage/

Massage Relieves Tension Headaches – Massage decreases the frequency and severity of tension headaches. A single massage therapy session immediately affects perceived pain in those with chronic tension headaches.

Massage Therapy Can Help You Lose Weight – Deep tissue massage promotes lymphatic flow and circulation, which significantly contribute to detoxification and weight loss. Combined with a regular exercise regimen and a well-balanced diet, massage therapy can help reduce the body’s excess fat and weight.

Surprising Benefits of Massage Therapy

It is common knowledge (and no surprise) that a well-applied massage can help you relax. However, massage therapy also has the following surprising benefits:

Massage Can Relieve Constipation – For those dealing with chronic constipation or constipation resulting from surgery, an abdominal massage may help restore more regular bowel movements.

Massage Boosts Immunity – It has been found that massage therapy boosts white blood cell counts, which play a significant role in defending the body from disease.

Massage Improves Sleep Habits – Regular massage encourages restful sleep. It also helps those challenged when trying to comfortably rest. Massage also promotes relaxation and sleep in those undergoing medical treatments like chemotherapy or radiation therapy,

Massage Counteracts Postural Stress – For those who work sitting down or spend long periods in a sitting position, more advanced forms of postural stress can appear as pain or weakness in the lower back and glutes caused by long periods of sitting. Massage can efficiently counteract this stress caused by sitting.

Known Benefits of Massage Therapy

In this article, you discovered essential information about commonly known and surprising massage therapy benefits.

Scheduling regular massage therapy sessions can lead to a staggering reduction in your stress and anxiety, leaving you more prepared to cope with the stressors of day-to-day life, injuries, and medical conditions.

Ignoring the need for massage therapy can leave you stressed and anxious over trivial matters and potentially suffering from debilitating nerve and muscle pain.

Sources:
arthritis.org/health-wellness/treatment/complementary-therapies/natural-therapies/benefits-of-massage
mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/massage-therapy/about/pac-20384595
health.clevelandclinic.org/benefits-of-massage/
betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/massage
nuhs.edu/patients/health-information/articles/top-5-health-benefits-of-regular-massage-therapy/

Foot Palace Massage Spa Athens

196 Alps Rd Ste 31, Athens, GA 30606
(706) 521-5290

Foot Palace Massage Spa Braselton

2095 Highway 211 NW Suite 7B, Braselton, GA 30517
(678) 963-5958

Back Pain Relief

June 17, 2022 By Heather

There are ways to avoid surrendering your mobility and happiness to debilitating back pain. Knowing how back pain occurs and how to alleviate it will help you live pain-free and prevent future occurrences.

yourfootpalace.com gathered information on why we experience back pain and several ways to find relief, and how you can stop it from happening again.

Back Pain Causes

Back strains and sprains are the most typical causes of back pain. You can injure muscles, tendons, or ligaments when lifting something excessively heavy or not lifting an item in the correct manner. More sensitive people can even strain their back just by sneezing, coughing, twisting, or bending over. Other common causes of back pain include:

Arthritis
Osteoarthritis
Scoliosis
Lordosis
Osteomyelitis (discitis)
Bulging or ruptured disks
Poor posture habits
Nicotine consumption (cigarettes, vape, chew)
Cancer
Kidney failure
Kidney stones
Endometriosis
Fibromyalgia
Accidents
Pregnancy
Violent sports-related impacts

While these are all contributing causes to back pain, there are some signs that should alert you to the need to seek medical attention. These signs include:

Numbness, tingling, or weakness
Persisting pain after an accident
Pain is worse at certain times or in certain positions
Difficulties with your bowels or urination
Pain for more than seven days
The pain extends to other body parts
Unexplained weight loss
You’re running a fever

These signs may seem innocuous, but they may indicate a far more severe condition than a simple sprain.

Tip: Avoid self-medicating with any over-the-counter medications until consulting a physician. Primarily if you are already taking any prescription medications.

Recognize Different Types of Back Pain

Back pain may be acute (short-term) or chronic (long-term). Back pain can be a sudden, sharp, and debilitating pain or a dull, annoying, and constant ache.

Acute Back Pain – This pain lasts from a couple of days to a few weeks. It is typically caused by an accident, fall, or improper lifting. Acute back pain will usually get better on its own, without any type of treatment. However, there may be times when you should seek medical care.

Chronic Back Pain – This type of back pain lasts for more than 3 months and is much less common than acute back pain. Typically, chronic back pain can be successfully treated without surgery.

Ways to Relieve Back Pain

Depending on the source and severity of your back pain, there are a few remedies that may help ease the pain or discomfort until your back returns to normal. Consider the following:

Cold compresses or an ice pack
Physical activity
Limited bed rest
Acupuncture
Spinal Manipulation or adjustment (Chiropractor)
Exercise to strengthen your core muscles
Massage
Stretch
Yoga
Meditation
Sleep with a pillow under your knees
Increase your calcium and vitamin D consumption
Change your shoes (less than 1-inch heels)
Correct your standing and sitting posture
Halt all nicotine consumption (cigarettes, vape, chew)
Lose excess weight
Topical rubs and ointments

Surgery may be considered for people with structural abnormalities/defects, nerve compression, or spinal cord compression. However, surgery is usually reserved for those that haven’t responded to non-surgical treatments with medication and therapy.

Note: Once considered the “gold standard” of back pain treatment, bed rest has fallen out of favor. Doctors now realize that it’s better to keep moving so muscles don’t stiffen.

Preventing Back Pain

An intelligent approach to preventing back pain is to keep your back muscles flexible and strong. The following steps will help protect your back and prevent back pain:

Exercise and stretch at least 2 days a week
Practice proper posture by standing and sitting up straight
Avoid excessively heavy or awkward lifting. (When lifting from below waist level, bend your knees and keep your back straight). This makes your leg muscles do most of the work
Get active and eat healthily
Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight can severely strain your back
Destress by participating in activities you enjoy

Tip: Pain and discomfort are ways that your body uses to communicate that something is not right. Masking any type of pain with over-the-counter medications or just ignoring it can exacerbate the principal cause.

Why Does My Back Hurt?

In this article, you discovered why back pain can occur, how to relieve it, when to seek medical attention, and what you can do to prevent it.

Addressing your back pain can help you relieve it, prevent the development of other, more severe health concerns, and maintain your pleasant disposition.

Ignoring or self-medicating back pain can allow it to mask more severe underlying conditions and potentially cause your debilitation or hospitalization.

Disclaimer: None of the content on this site, regardless of subject or date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or another qualified clinician.

Sources:
niams.nih.gov/health-topics/back-pain
health.harvard.edu/pain/home-remedies-for-low-back-pain
mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/back-pain/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20369911
my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/7936-lower-back-pain
medlineplus.gov/backpain.html
health.gov/myhealthfinder/healthy-living/safety/prevent-back-pain
cdc.gov/acute-pain/low-back-pain/index.html

Foot Palace Massage Spa Athens

196 Alps Rd Ste 31, Athens, GA 30606
(706) 521-5290

Foot Palace Massage Spa Braselton

2095 Highway 211 NW Suite 7B, Braselton, GA 30517
(678) 963-5958

9 Suggestions on How To Relax

May 19, 2022 By Heather

Prevent stress and anxiety from robbing you of your peace and tranquility. Knowing how to center yourself and relax benefits your health and wellness in immeasurable ways.

yourfootpalace.com gathered information on 9 ways you can quickly relax and regain your peaceful state of being.

1. Deep Breathing

By adjusting your breathing rate and pattern, you can stimulate the body’s parasympathetic nervous system, triggering a calming response, which decreases your heart rate, blood pressure, and muscle tension. Here’s how:

Sit comfortably or lie down
Inhale slowly through your nose until your stomach rises
Hold your breath and count to three
Exhale slowly, allowing your stomach to fall

Tip: There are many versions to this exercise. Experiment until you find one that works for you.

2. Practice Yoga

Regular yoga practice can foster mental clarity and calmness, increase body awareness, relieve chronic stress, center one’s attention, and sharpen concentration.

3. Spend Time Outdoors

You can find relaxing places all around. Just head to the beach, a park, the woods, a trail, or a quiet spot beside a stream. Most know how relaxing it is to be outside, but not everyone knows or recognizes nature’s healing effects.

4. Get a Massage

A massage therapist’s touch can elevate the body’s dopamine level, significantly affecting one’s inspiration, joy, and enthusiasm. Ultimately, the gentle pressure applied through massage stimulates the body’s circulation, helping you relax and rest.

Tip: Couple’s massages can help lessen mutual stressors and tension.

5. Spend Your Time Off – Off

Occupy your downtime from work with a movie, gardening activities, board games, weight lifting, sightseeing, or visiting a museum. By making time to pursue activities you enjoy, you give your mind a chance to deflect whatever makes you anxious.

6. Declutter

When you can’t find a place to store things, chances are you’ll leave them lying around so you can deal with them later. The more “stuff” you have, the more surfaces you have that collect dust and allergens. This alone can decrease the air quality in your home and creates a stressful situation when specific items or papers must be quickly located.

7. Eat Healthier

Consuming a healthier diet can lead to significant health and wellness improvements. Among the benefits of a more nutritious diet is an increased ability to resolve issues and avoid undue stress. Consider the following benefits of eating healthier:

Lowers risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and some cancers
Helps the digestive system maintain proper function
Helps achieve and maintain a healthy weight
Increases skin, teeth, and eye health
Supports muscle growth, strengthening, and repair
Boosts immunity
Strengthens bones
May help you live longer

Tip: Consult your primary care physician and a nutritionist before attempting any radical or fad diets. Weight loss or weight gain should be closely monitored to prevent severe health problems.

8. Reduce Alcohol Consumption

Low and moderate doses of alcohol can increase one’s expression, happiness, and euphoria. However, over time, excessive alcohol consumption can result in the development of chronic diseases and other issues, including:

Digestive problems
Liver Disease
Stroke
Heart Disease
Hypertension
Stress
Anxiety

Note: Elevated alcohol consumption can also significantly contribute to the development of breast, mouth, throat, esophagus, colon, and rectum cancers.

9. Stop Smoking

While smoking may seem to temporarily relax or de-stress one’s state of being, the reality and long-term effects of tobacco consumption are substantially different. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, smoking causes or significantly contributes to:

Hypertension
Cancer
Heart Disease
Heart Failure
Stroke
Lung Diseases
Kidney Failure
Diabetes
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

Tip: Your body will begin to heal shortly after you quit smoking, and the sooner you give up the habit, the greater the benefit will be to your health and wellness.

Stress-Related Conditions

Allowing the stress of daily pressures or traumatic events to infiltrate your decisions and personal interactions can significantly contribute to the following conditions:

Hypertension
Heart Disease
Obesity
Depression
Anxiety
Gastrointestinal Disorders
Diabetes

Note: When you perceive danger or feel threatened, your body releases stress hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol, which prepare the body for emergency action. Subsequently, your heart rate increases, muscles tighten, blood pressure rises, breath quickens, and your senses sharpen.

How To Relax

In this article, you discovered nine easy ways to quickly get rid of stress and anxiety, leaving you on a path to better health and increased wellness.

Living a less stressful life can significantly improve your overall state of being while drastically reducing some of the contributing factors to severe health and emotional conditions.

Allowing stress to dominate your life and choices can lead to poor lifestlye decisions and debilitating conditions over time.

Sources:
hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/9-benefits-of-yoga
cdc.gov/nutrition/resources-publications/benefits-of-healthy-eating.html
mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/alcohol/art-20044551
cancer.org/healthy/stay-away-from-tobacco/health-risks-of-tobacco/health-risks-of-smoking-tobacco.html

Foot Palace Massage Spa Athens

196 Alps Rd Ste 31, Athens, GA 30606
(706) 521-5290

Foot Palace Massage Spa Braselton

2095 Highway 211 NW Suite 7B, Braselton, GA 30517
(678) 963-5958

Quick But Effective Tips for Managing Your Diabetes

May 10, 2022 By Heather

Diabetes is a condition experienced by many Americans, and it’s also quite common here in Georgia. According to the Georgia Department of Public Health, more than 1 in 10 adults in our state have diabetes.

If you’re among these numbers, you might be looking for quick but effective tips to manage your diabetes without making any drastic lifestyle changes. In this case, you’re in luck — we discuss a few such tips below.

Everything in Moderation

Being diabetic doesn’t mean limiting yourself severely. Fat, protein, and carbs affect your blood sugar levels the most, but foods like bacon and chocolate can still be eaten in smaller portions. As highlighted by a 2016 piece from the University of Georgia titled Study Finds Exercise Can Help Enhance Diabetic Medication, you’ll need to move around more. You can start doing so gradually, like walking for an extra 5 minutes each day. Similarly, you can still have that bottle of beer or glass of wine — but no more than one or two glasses a day.

Tackle Stress

Long-term stress can affect your body in more ways than one. Stress is a known barrier to optimal insulin production in your body and can put you at a risk of higher blood sugar levels. On top of that, ScienceDaily confirms that heavy stress can shorten your lifespan. To combat this, find ways to incorporate relaxing activities into your life. Deep breathing is a great technique to start with. From here, find what works best for you. This can be yoga, a nice hot bath, a good book, or a scenic walk through parks like Ben Burton or Southeast Clarke.

Be Organized

You need to check your blood sugar levels 4-10 times a day to monitor it properly. If you have Type 1 diabetes, SymptomFind adds that you’ll need insulin therapy. However, the effectiveness of these methods in managing your blood sugar can be affected if you skip meals or insulin doses. This makes it vital for you to stay organized. Keeping a record of your blood sugar levels can help. You can also try taking insulin at the same time each day. If all else fails, the handy alarm app on your phone can help you keep track.

Get a Foot Massage

Diabetes can do more than just cause your blood sugar levels to spike. In our article Aging Feet Changes And Common Problems, we note that it can cause nerve damage and decrease the blood flow to your feet. If you get cuts or sores here, you won’t feel them — and lower blood flow means they’ll heal slower and are more vulnerable to infection. Our reflexology-based foot massages can help prevent these issues or mitigate their ongoing effects. What’s more, they’ll help relax you and eliminate some of that stress you shouldn’t be having.

Visit Your Doctor Regularly

Finally, it’s vital for you to stay on top of your condition through regular check-ups with your doctor. The CDC recommends that you do this at least twice a year — more often if you’re taking insulin therapy. These visits should give you the insight you need to tweak your lifestyle and manage your diabetes more effectively. You don’t need to waste time and money on in-person appointments, either. Local centers like the Athena Medical Clinic and Sharecare now offer convenient and accessible telehealth services for diabetic patients, making it even easier for you to make that appointment.

Diabetes can be a challenging condition. Fortunately, these quick and effective tips prove that you can still live your life to the fullest.

Image: Pexels

9 Ways to Improve Your Heart Health

April 22, 2022 By Heather

Avoid rapid decline, chronic fatigue, medical emergencies, and premature mortality due to poor heart health. Knowing what to do or change in your lifestyle to strengthen your heart can significantly alter how you age and relate to other people.

yourfootpalace.com gathered information on how to improve your heart health while living a healthier, more active life.

About Your Heart

Your heart will beat approximately 2.5 billion times over your lifetime, pumping millions of gallons of blood to each part of your body. This steady flow carries oxygen, fuel, hormones, and essential cells throughout your body. It also contributes to the removal of metabolic waste products. When the heart fails or stops, some essential functions immediately fail.

Given the heart’s continuous workload, how it performs so well, for so long, and for so many people is utterly astonishing. That said, it can also fail, damaged by poor dietary habits, a lack of exercise, smoking, infection, etc.

Your heart is a muscle that responds to physical and mental stimuli. How it copes with these stimuli depends entirely on how healthy it is. Consider the following ways to significantly improve your heart’s health:

1. Increase Your Physical Activity

For some, this may be a significant challenge. If you haven’t been physically active in the past, you can get the ball rolling with the following and work your way up:

Park your car farther away, resulting in a longer distance to walk to work or home
On rainy days, try walking indoors at a gallery or mall (no excuses)
Wake up early and exercise before your day starts
Climb the stairs instead of riding an elevator
Spend portions of your break-times walking

Note: Wearable digital fitness trackers can help you count your steps. Increase your daily steps by 500/week until reaching 10,000 steps per day. This level of daily steps can produce immediately noticeable health benefits.

2. Quit Smoking

Increase your lifespan. Do you really need another reason? Consider this:

Only 20 minutes after you stop smoking, your blood pressure and heart rate reduce. Then, in about 3 weeks, your circulation begins to improve. Your odds of heart disease are also immediately reduced. After a year without tobacco use, you’re 50% less likely to develop heart disease.

Note: For those who complain that their breathing worsened after quitting smoking, here’s a bit of vital knowledge: Smoking inflames the lining of your airways, but when you quit, you are no longer inhaling the toxic substances that irritated your airways, which allows the healing process to begin.

3. Consume Foods High in Fiber

Fiber is a carbohydrate that your body cannot break down. However, high-fiber foods may have other heart-health benefits, like reducing your blood pressure and inflammation. Fiber comes in insoluble and soluble varieties, and both are firmly linked to heart health:

Insoluble Fiber – This type of fiber is found in whole grains, wheat cereals, and vegetables like carrots, celery, and tomatoes.

Soluble Fiber – This fiber is found in barley, oatmeal, beans, nuts, and fruits like apples, berries, citrus fruits, and pears.

Note: A high-fiber diet can contribute to reducing the risk of heart disease and diabetes.

4. Adjust Your Sodium Intake

Excessive sodium intake, insufficient sodium intake, and high blood pressure are significant risk factors for developing or worsening existing heart failure. Balancing your salt intake may profoundly reduce these risks.

Consult your primary care physician or a nutritionist to figure out diet adjustments that can control and balance your sodium intake.

Note: For those considering a complete sodium removal from their diet: When sodium levels drop too low in the body, you can experience muscle cramps, nausea, vomiting, and vertigo-like dizziness. Eventually, this lack of salt may result in shock, coma, and death.

5. Control Your Weight

A normal and healthy Body Mass Index (BMI) measures between 20 and 25. Your risk of heart disease increases as your BMI increases. A BMI of 25 to 30 (considered overweight) has a higher risk, and a BMI of 30 to 35 (considered obese) is exponentially higher.

Note: Body mass index (BMI) is a measure of body fat based on height and weight that applies to adult men and women.

Tip: Consult your primary care physician, a nutritionist, and a certified personal trainer to get your BMI under control.

6. Manage Your Stress

Your body’s stress response might help you work harder and stay awake longer, but stress becomes a problem when stressors continue without relief or periods of relaxation. Some of the physical symptoms of stress can include:

Aches and pains
Chest pain
Exhaustion or trouble sleeping
Headaches, dizziness, or shaking
High blood pressure
Stomach or digestive problems

Ways to relieve stress and control anxiety include:

Meditate
Laugh more
Take a spa day
Get a foot massage
Connect with others
Get a couples massage
Get active
Get sufficient sleep

Prolonged periods of stress and anxiety have been linked to high blood pressure and heart disease.

7. Avoid Alcohol

Excessive alcohol consumption can lead to high blood pressure, heart failure, or stroke. Alcohol can also contribute to obesity and the exhausting list of health problems associated with it.

Moderate drinking can be defined as one drink per day for women and one or two for men. One drink constitutes 12 ounces of beer, 4 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof spirit.

Tip: Some people should avoid alcohol altogether if they have certain heart rhythm abnormalities or have heart failure.

8. Monitor Your Blood Pressure

In many cases, severe damage caused by high blood pressure (HBP or hypertension) occurs with time. Left undetected or uncontrolled, high blood pressure can lead to heart attack, stroke, heart failure, vision loss, kidney failure, sexual dysfunction, etc.

You can control high blood pressure by making simple lifestyle changes which include:

Lose extra pounds and watch your BMI
Start exercising regularly
Eat a healthier diet
Reduce sodium in your diet
Limit the amount of alcohol you drink
Quit smoking
Reduce caffeine consumption

Note: Regular or normal blood pressure is widely considered to be 120 (systolic)/80 (diastolic). If your blood pressure is higher or lower than 120/80, you should consult with your primary care physician for advice.

Tip: Blood pressure monitors are commonly found in pharmacies everywhere. After purchasing one, take it to your doctor’s office to verify that it is working and calibrated properly.

9. Visit Your Primary Care Physician Regularly

Annual checkups and follow-ups after medical procedures are a vital component of your overall health. With heart conditions or illnesses that lead to heart conditions, your best deterrent is early detection and treatment.

BONUS TIP: Manage Your Diabetes

If you have diabetes, you are twice as likely to develop heart disease or suffer a stroke than someone without. The longer you have diabetes, the more likely you are to develop heart disease.

Consult a diabetes care and education specialist for personalized help avoiding health complications such as heart disease. Find out more about how diabetes education can help you take the best care of yourself by asking your doctor for a referral if you don’t already have a diabetes educator.

Heart Health

In this article, you discovered several ways to significantly improve your heart health and live a healthier, more active lifestyle.

Taking action early in life to improve your heart health can significantly increase your quality of life and help you avoid debilitating heart conditions.

Ignoring your heart health can lead to heart failure, heart attack, stroke, organ failure, and early mortality.

Sources:
heart.org
health.harvard.edu/topics/heart-health
health.gov/myhealthfinder/topics/health-conditions/heart-health/keep-your-heart-healthy
mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/high-fiber-foods/art-20050948
nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/BMI/bmicalc.htm
cdc.gov/healthyweight/assessing/bmi/adult_bmi/index.html
hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/alcohol-and-heart-health-separating-fact-from-fiction

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