Your Heart as You Age

At birth, the life of your heart begins.  It’s believed that if as a mother you exercise before the baby is born, you are able to help your baby’s heart health.

A child’s heart is about the size of a fist.  It is small but this is the time for you to set good habits for a lifelong lower risk of heart disease.

A healthy lifestyle includes playing for physical exercise, eating healthy foods and keeping a safe weight.

Healthy lifestyles early in life can lead to healthy choices during your child’s teen years.  A teen’s body is changing in so many ways. Likewise, keeping your teenager away from smoking is one key factor.  One study shows that 68% of smokers had their first cigarette at age 18.

When you reach age 20, that is when your body’s cardiovascular system begins to change naturally so that’s another reason heart healthy habits are key.

Let’s talk about the heart’s functions to see why it’s such an important organ.  The right side pumps blood to the lungs for oxygen and it gets rid of carbon dioxide.  The left side is responsible for getting oxygen-rich blood to the entire rest of your body.

Hmmm.  That’s a big job for a not so big organ!

As you age, the heart changes normally with age-related changes.  Consequently, healthy habits early in life and help lower your risk throughout your life.

Healthy Habits include:

Diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol

Regular exercise

No or reduced smoking

Visit doctors regularly for checkups

Private Home Health Care will continue to talk about the heart this month during National Heart Month.  We want everyone to be as healthy as possible.