Show your heart some love by staying active

February is National Heart Month, which makes it the perfect time to focus on matters of the heart. Your heart.

Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the U.S. The average age for the first heart attack is 65.3 for men, and 71.8 for women. ¹ The statistics are scary, but you can take steps today to reduce your risk.

Heart disease isn’t a “normal” part of aging and, even if it runs in your family, it isn’t inevitable. Maintaining a healthy weight and keeping your cholesterol and blood pressure at normal levels will greatly reduce your risk of dying from heart disease, ² and the best way to do that is to commit to a healthy lifestyle.
5 lifestyle changes that may reduce your risk of heart disease

1.  Stop smoking. The toxic chemicals in cigarettes negatively impact how your heart and blood vessels function. This leads to a build-up of plaque in your heart arteries, increasing the risk of heart disease. ³

2.  Choose healthy foods. Good nutrition helps keep a host of critical risk factors in check –– cholesterol, blood pressure, diabetes and weight. And you’ll feel better, which could lead to other good habits like exercising.

3.  Stay active. Take a daily walk, stretch or do yoga, take a fitness class, ride a bike. As little as 10 minutes a day of exercise can deliver some health benefits.  Always remember to bring your HOME & AWAY GPS Medical Alert system with you!

4.  Limit alcohol: Having more than two drinks per day for men, and one per day for women, can increase your risk of high blood pressure and obesity, which both increase the risk of heart disease.

5.  Relax. Learning to manage stress in a healthy way is important to your mental health and your heart health.

Go heart-healthy with SilverSneakers®

SilverSneakers is your fitness benefit provided by many health plans at no additional cost. Participating in SilverSneakers may help you have a healthier lifestyle. In fact, 88 percent of participants say SilverSneakers improved their quality of life. ⁴

SilverSneakers gives you the tools you need to stay active and healthy. You’ll have an entire community of support. Your SilverSneakers benefit gives you access to:

This Valentine’s Day, show your own heart some love. Use your SilverSneakers benefit to take control of your health. Visit SilverSneakers.com to get your SilverSneakers member ID number and find participating locations near you.

Always talk with your doctor before starting an exercise program.

Sources:

1. American Heart Association, http://www.heart.org/idc/groups/ahamah-public/@wcm/@sop/@smd/documents/downloadable/ucm_491265.pdf Accessed 12/21/2017

2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Prevention: What You Can Do,” http://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/what_you_can_do.h...

3. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/smoking-and-your-heart

4. Membership includes SilverSneakers instructor-led group fitness classes. Some locations offer members additional classes. Classes vary by location.

5. Participating locations (“PL”) are not owned or operated by Tivity Health, Inc. or its affiliates. Use of PL facilities and amenities is limited to terms and conditions of PL basic membership. Facilities and amenities vary by PL.

6. 2017 SilverSneakers Annual Participant Survey

SilverSneakers and the SilverSneakers shoe logotype are registered trademarks of Tivity Health, Inc. SilverSneakers On-Demand is a registered trademark of Tivity Health, Inc. © 2019 Tivity Health, Inc. All rights reserved.