February is all about the body’s most important muscle: the heart.
In support of Heart Health Awareness Month, Ingrid Knight-Cohee, fitness expert and Director of Classes at the B.C.-based gym Fitness World, wants to help empower and educate people with simple tools and tips to keep hearts healthy.
See below for simple ways to help strengthen the heart.
Take the Time to Relax
Stress in work and life can become overwhelming and can place our bodies into a “fight or flight” state 24/7. This type of stress can affect cardiovascular health and increase the risk of heart disease, kidney damage, and stroke. Mediation through yoga or other stretching practices, like those offered in Fitness World’s Body in Balance or Yoga Wind classes, can help counteract this stress response and calm the mind and body.
Strength Training for a Strong Heart
All types of movement can benefit your mental and physical health, but a recent study found that strength training in particular – like lifting weights or working out with resistance bands, even just once a week – can reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Our heart is a muscle, and exercise is what helps to strengthen it.
Healthy Habits Have an Impact
Consistency is the key. Whether making a conscious effort to eat a balanced diet or taking a high intensity HIIT class, small but consistent changes are a great start to maintaining cardiovascular health
