Six Easy Ideas to Take Care of Your Heart…. Just in Time for Valentine’s Day!

Instead of consuming sugary hearts with little messages written on them by the handful, how about giving a real gift to your heart this Valentine’s Day? Novel concept, I know, but hear me out.

Your heart is absolutely vital to your physical well being. It began beating within the first few weeks of life and will not stop until the end. Can you imagine any machine – or anything else, for that matter, that runs 24/7 for 70 or 80 years… maybe even a century?!?

Your heart is the center of your emotional well being too. There is a reason we express love with hearts – that is the area of our body in which we experience strong emotions.

So… for your physical and emotional well being, here are 6 easy ways to nurture that juicy organ that deserves our unending affection:

♥  Lift weights. Ha… you thought I was going to say, “Get some cardio.” More on that later. We think of weight lifting as something you do to build lean, strong muscles. Well… what is your heart? It’s a muscle, silly! And when you work your muscles, they require lots of oxygen rich blood to do their work. Such a demand makes that heart really have to pump. So when you do resistance exercise – whether you’re using your body weight, bands, or good ol’ fashion iron – you aren’t just working your quads, glutes, or pecs, you’re also working your heart. 

And here’s a tip – if you don’t ever feel your heart rate accelerate when you are lifting weights, you need to kick up your workout! Add more weight, more reps, or both. Just crank up the volume!

♥ Get Cardio. Okay, so you knew that had to be in here somewhere. But what does “cardio” actually mean? We trainers throw that word around, but I’m not sure everyone really understands what we’re talking about. In simple terms, getting cardio means nothing more than doing something that increases your heart rate for a sustained period of time.  Yes, we’d like you to get your heart rate between 65 – 85 percent of its maximum, but without timing your pulse and working an equation, or wearing a heart rate monitor, you can just walk, run, dance, skate, ski, or whatever at a pace that gets you slightly out of breath and sweaty. Keep that pace for at least 30 minutes and you’re good to go!

 ♥ Eat Heart Healthy Fats. Fats from avocados, nuts, olives (or olive oil), and fish are some of the best foods for your heart. Not only will these foods keep your cell membranes it top shape, they’ll keep your ticker ticking and your arteries looking like healthy, juicy worms, rather than sickly, broken twigs. Getting your nutrients from real foods is always best, but if you’re not eating fish at least four times a week, you should add a fish oil supplement to your diet to even out your ratio of Omega 3s to Omega 6s. Researchers can’t say enough good things about fish oil and how it reduces instances of heart attack, so make sure you’re getting enough. If you do decide to supplement (not a bad idea!), find a supplement that comes from wild salmon and provides a standardized amount of all eight naturally occurring Omega 3s. And take it while you’re eating an avocado!

♥ Sleep. Really? That’s easy… unless you have an infant, or a sick child, or a stressful job, or are a female over the age of 40. But sleep is sooooooo important. So even if it’s a challenge, you must do what it takes to give yourself 7 – 8 hours of shut-eye every night. Researchers (again… those nebulous “researchers”) have shown that consistently getting 5 hours or less of sleep can increase your likelihood of developing heart disease. Even though your heart never stops beating, sleep does allow it a certain element of rest – a break from non-stop, low-grade (or worse yet, sky-high) stress that is our daily lives. Don’t watch TV before bed, limit caffeine after 3 p.m., keep your room cool, and exercise daily. These things can help launch you into dreamy land.

♥ Relax and Have Fun. Who knew exercise and fun were both good for your heart?!? Maybe this Fun Girl Fitness idea is on to something!! Anyway, spending your life tense, wound up, and nose-to-the-grindstone not only makes life not worth living, it also can shorten your life. Just as you make appointments to take care of yourself by exercising, getting your hair cut, getting your teeth cleaned, you should also make it a point to do really fun things on a regular basis. Could be meeting some girlfriends for dinner, dancing until dawn with another couple, exploring a state park, reading a book in the tub, or kayaking on the lake. Doesn’t matter. What floats your boat, baby. But remember, you deserve to enjoy this life… and the more you enjoy it, the more you may get of it!

♥ Shower Yourself with Love. So this one’s my very favorite. I believe with everything in me – although I’ve never seen research bearing it out – that you can love yourself into health. Hokey as that sounds, I’ve implemented this theory for years. So here’s what you do. First, surround yourself with people and pets who adore you and who you absolutely adore back. If someone isn’t a raving fan of yours, wish them well and let them go. And make sure you respect, admire, honor, and love everyone you spend time with. If you don’t, again, let them go. Being engulfed in love – both giving and receiving – is key to long-term health.

Second, in those inevitable times you feel trod upon by the world, love yourself. How, you ask? Close your eyes and feel love bubbling up from your heart. It feels warm – and it’s a definite physical sensation. Let that warm, self-love, self-acceptance wash over your body. You’ll feel the love surging over your shoulder and warming your abdomen, hips, and through your legs. It’s like a shot of energy – a virtual vitamin for your whole being.

Third, subscribe to the daily Love, Your Body notes (sign up below). Through brief twitters, delivered via email, your body reminds you to nurture it, take care of it, and love it. And you’ll be reminded of how much it loves you. It’s the perfect way to keep yourself on track toward healthy, achievable goals, and to appreciate your miraculous body along the way. This free service kicks off on Valentine’s Day, as my special love gift to you!