| Keeping our hearts healthy is important, but how | | | | enough. Experts say that we should aim to take |
| do we do it? Fortunately the answers to this are | | | | 10,000 steps to maintain a healthier lifestyle. |
| very clear. | | | | Increasing to 10,000 steps a day will burn |
| Being overweight, particularly if you carry the | | | | between 2,000 and 3,500 extra calories per |
| weight around your waist, puts unnecessary strain | | | | week, which will result in achieving a vastly better |
| on the heart. To find out if you have a problem | | | | health profile and longer lifespan. There are lots of |
| you need to know your height to weight ratio | | | | ways you can increase the number of steps you |
| (WHR). To work this out measure round your | | | | take: get up to change the TV rather than using |
| waist in centimetres and divide it by your hip | | | | the remote; park further from the supermarket; |
| circumference. The measurements need to be in | | | | take a walk around the local park or your garden |
| centimetres, so if your measuring tape is in | | | | yard; walk rather than take the car on short |
| inches, multiply each measurement by 2.5 before | | | | journeys. Using a pedometer will help motivate |
| dividing one by the other. If the figure you end up | | | | you to clock up those extra steps. |
| with is greater than 0.9 for men and 0.8 for | | | | Giving up smoking is likely to have a dramatic |
| women then your fat distribution is likely to be | | | | effect on your heart. Carbon monoxide produced |
| associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular | | | | when you smoke cigarettes attaches to red blood |
| disease and diabetes. | | | | cells, so that in smokers up to half the blood can |
| Research has shown that many overweight | | | | be carrying carbon monoxide rather than oxygen. |
| people with angina, raised blood cholesterol and | | | | No wonder many smokers are breathless! If you |
| high blood pressure found their condition improved | | | | need help giving up smoking, try one of the books |
| greatly, even after losing only some of their | | | | or CD's by Allen Carr. He has helped thousands of |
| excess weight. Many of those who kept their | | | | people to give up. |
| weight off were able to reduce their medication | | | | And, if you don't already, start flossing your teeth! |
| or even stop it entirely. | | | | This may seem bizarre in relation to the heart, |
| Exercise is important for your heart too. If you | | | | but it has been shown that there is a link |
| take regular exercise, it will speed up your basal | | | | between gum disease and heart disease. The |
| metabolic rate. This means that you will burn | | | | exact mechanism isn't understood fully yet, but |
| more calories, not only when you are exercising | | | | flossing your teeth and having regular dental |
| but for some time afterwards as well. People | | | | checks is important for a healthy heart. |
| often imagine that they have to exercise hard to | | | | Finally, give and receive love. The scientific |
| have an effect, but it's enough just to take | | | | evidence isn't there (yet) for how important this |
| exercise that leaves you warm and breathing | | | | is for our hearts, but it has been established that |
| heavily, but still able to hold a conversation. | | | | people who have loving relationships also tend to |
| Did you know that each day most of us take | | | | have long and happy lives. |
| between 3,000-4,000 steps? And that's just not | | | | |