Your heart should beat, not take a beating. Here’s some ways you can keep your heart healthy!
Have you ever taken time to wonder how you can be heart healthy, even when on campus? If you’re considering looking into ways to keep your heart beating strong, this will be able to provide some advice.
An important part of staying heart healthy is by regulating your diet. The many options in the Elizabethtown College cafeteria are certainly all delicious, but you should pay attention to the makeup of what you’re eating.
“Foods that are high in saturated fat increase the risk of high cholesterol which increases the risk of high blood pressure, heart attacks, and strokes,” Assistant Director of Health Promotion at the College Joni Eisenhauer said. “Foods that are high in sodium increase the risk of high blood pressure. And processed and fried foods increase the risk of cardiovascular issues.” Be sure to limit foods that fall into those categories. It seems like fairly simple advice, but if you pay attention to the information cards around each of the foods set out at the cafeteria, you can determine the ingredients and nutritional facts about anything you’re unsure of.
You should also pay attention to how the food you select has been prepared. Food that is baked, broiled, boiled and steamed are usually healthier. If you’re unsure of how a dish is actually cooked, don’t be afraid to look it up. The few moments it takes to search it up will be worth it if it means your heart can stay healthier.
An often overlooked area of the Marketplace is the salad bar and fruit crates. These dish options can provide a healthy and tasty addition to your meals. “I always try to tell people to strive for a fruit or vegetable at every meal. Unfortunately a lot of convenience type foods are tasty, but aren’t nutritionally fulfilling or physically fulfilling,” Eisenhauer said.
If you want to go beyond healthy eating, regular exercise is also a good option to stay heart healthy. “It would be good to have a balance of cardio on this side and straight training on the other side. Nick Hartz, a student worker at the Bowers Center for Sports, Fitness and Well-being said, “I think a good thing is to target all muscle groups, but the heart is mostly cardio.”
For beginners, a good way to start training cardio is to go on the treadmill. Eventually as you get more accustomed to the different gym equipment and how they feel, you can spread out your training to the full extent of what the gym can offer. Of course, you don’t have to do cardio in the gym only. If you don’t have time to go to the gym, you can always do cardio by jogging and running wherever you find yourself.
If you’re informed about simple things you can do, staying heart healthy isn’t as difficult as you might be led to believe. Follow these eating and exercise tips, and you can ensure your heart will be able to beat strong for years to come.
