February Is Heart Disease Prevention Month
Pittsburgh Seniors Are Managing Stress More Effectively With These Five Tips
Five ways to manage stress while helping your heart
Want to turn your stress around and help your heart in the process?Try these five simple tips:
1. Stay positive. People with heart disease who maintain an upbeat attitude are less likely to die than those who are more negative, according to research. Just having a good laugh can help your heart. Laughter has been found to lower levels of stress hormones, reduce inflammation in the arteries, and increase "good" HDL cholesterol.
2. Meditate. This practice of inward-focused thought and deep breathing has been shown to reduce heart disease risk factors such as high blood pressure. Anyone can learn to meditate. Just take a few minutes to sit somewhere quiet, close your eyes, and focus on your breathing. Meditation's close relatives, yoga and prayer, can also relax the mind and body.
3. Exercise. Every time you are physically active, whether you take a walk or play tennis, your body releases mood-boosting chemicals called endorphins. Exercising not only melts away stress, but it also protects against heart disease by lowering your blood pressure, strengthening your heart muscle, and helping you maintain a healthy weight.
4. Unplug. It's impossible to escape stress when it follows you everywhere. Cut the cord. Avoid emails and TV news. Take time each day—even if it's for just 10 or 15 minutes—to escape from the world.
5. Find your own path to stress relief. Take a bubble bath, listen to music, or read a book. Any technique is effective if it works for you.
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Source: https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/stress-and-your-heart
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