4 FREE Ways to Boost Your Heart Health!

When it comes to optimal health, I like to blend the conventional with the unconventional.

Key lifestyle factors that “everyone knows” are good for your heart include things like: eating a healthy diet, getting consistent movement, minimizing stress, and getting a good night’s sleep.

I do these things on a regular basis, and I encourage my patients to do the same.

But there are plenty of unconventional methods that have also been scientifically proven to boost your heart health.

We’re talking lowering blood pressure, improving blood vessels, and reducing your risk of dying from heart disease.

They’re simple, fun, and best of all… free.

If you’re like many people, you’ve been stuck inside a lot during this long, Covid winter.

With all that down time, you should have plenty of time to start taking long, hot baths. It could lower your blood pressure, reduce your risk of heart problems and even stroke.

In one study of 30,000 people, researchers found that those who took a hot bath almost every day had a 28 percent lower risk of heart problems and a 26 percent lower risk of stroke, compared to those who took baths once a week or less.

This is likely because the high temperatures help dilate your blood vessels, lowering your blood pressure.

After your bath (or perhaps when you wake up in the morning), try doing some focused stretching.

No, it’s not a rigorous as a walk around the block, but the simple act of stretching could potentially lower your risk of heart attack and stroke.

In one study, people were divided into three groups: two that did various stretches, and one that did no stretching.

After 12 weeks, the groups that stretched significantly improved their blood vessel health compared to the non-stretchers.

This is because stretching improves your blood flow, which decreases stiffness and damage in your arteries.

Follow your morning stretch with a hot cuppa Joe… just makes sure it’s filtered.

One study of over 500,000 people found that people who drank filtered coffee were 15 percent less likely to die of any cause—including heart disease—during the 20-year follow up.

Those who drank one to four cups had the lowest risk of heart-related death.

Last but not least, try incorporating some tai chi into your day, which is the ancient Chinese practice of slow, meditative movement.

One study showed that when people with high blood pressure practiced tai chi for three months, they saw significant drops in their blood pressure.

And when obese patients practiced tai chi, they experienced a decrease in cholesterol, body mass index, and C-reactive protein (a marker of inflammation).

Studies like these show that boosting your heart health can be simple, fun, and free.

Why not start right now with a nice, hot bath.

 

P.S. Your diet is also crucial when it comes to keeping your heart healthy. Click here and learn how you can eat your way to a healthier heart.