No one wants to spend their holiday at the hospital. Here are five tips from a medical expert to keep your heart health top of mind this season.
You have to go in with a plan,” said Viet Le, a physician’s associate in cardiology at Intermountain Health. “I think you have to be intentional, knowing that it is the holidays, that there are going to be goodies.”
“Make sure that you’re being active, “The Heart Association says 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity. That sounds like a lot, but you break it down, it’s 30 minutes, five days a week. And you can even break it down into 10-minute segments.”
“Don’t lose track of what you’re drinking. You want to enjoy the moment, and that includes appropriate alcohol intake, “Cardiovascular disease and smoking do not mix,” he said. “It is the highest risk for death and highest risk for cardiovascular events.”
“Stage one hypertension is anything 130 and above for that top number and 80 and above for the bottom number,”
“You have to keep the things that have kept you sane throughout the year into the period of holidays, Maintaining the de-stressors in your life, when taking on the additional stress of the holidays is important. And again, it takes intention. It takes planning.”