Right at Home Exeter and Exmouth’s tips to look after your heart’s health.

Introduction

February is Heart Month organised by the British Heart Foundation. The month aims to raise awareness of heart conditions and help people to understand ways to look after their hearts. Right at Home Exeter and Exmouth is a proud partner of the British Heart Foundation. Together we work to promote healthy lifestyles and ways everyone can look after our hearts.

• Tips For a Healthy Heart

According to the British Heart Foundation, in the UK, 7.6 million people have heart and circulatory issues and half of us will have one during our lifetime. That being said, making minor alterations to your lifestyle can have a positive effect on your heart health. Potentially reducing the risk of diabetes, stroke, vascular dementia, coronary heart disease or other cardiovascular diseases in the long term. Here are some helpful tips to improve your heart health and support the British Heart Foundation during Heart Month.

Tip #1: Eat a Balanced Diet.

• Eat plenty a variety of fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables are full of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fibre and can help keep you feeling full and energised.
• Avoid processed foods, added sugars, fried foods, saturated and trans fats. Processed and sugary foods can provide a short burst of energy, but they are usually full of unhealthy fats and preservatives.
• Include lean proteins and whole grains in your meals. These are a great source of energy and can help keep your body feeling full.
• As well as eating a healthy diet you need to drink plenty of water. Staying hydrated is essential for maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and drinking water can help you feel full in between meals.
• Healthy Eating Guide | Right at Home UK

Tip #2: Stay active.

• Activities like running, walking, swimming or cycling are great ways to look after your heart.
• Exercise has lots of benefits on the mind and body. As well as directly improving heart health, it can strengthen muscles, improve mobility and maintain mental wellbeing.
• Aim for 30 minutes of moderate physical activity daily.
• Consistent exercise helps improve your muscle ability, allows oxygen to travel through your lungs more easily and supports blood flow.
• Exercise can also help to reduce stress, which can often put an extra burden on your heart.

Tip #3: Look after your mental wellbeing.

• High levels of stress can lead to high blood pressure, which can pose a risk of heart attacks and strokes.
• Find healthy ways to manage and reduce stress in your life.
• This could include yoga, meditation, spending time with friends or simply doing things that you enjoy that help you relax.
• Integrating yoga and meditation practices into daily routines has been proven to lower a person’s heart rate and blood pressure.

Tip #4: Visit your doctor regularly for check-ups.

• You can arrange tests with your GP to monitor your health, including overall health checks, blood pressure tests and diabetes checks.
• Visiting your doctor regularly can help detect potential heart problems early on.
• If you are a UK resident between the ages of 40-74, you can book a free NHS health check every five years.
• They can also guidance on preventative care and offer tailored advice on your unique lifestyle.
• It is important you are aware of any pre-existing medical conditions you have and communicate these to your loved ones so you can access the appropriate help and care you require.

Tip #5: Check your blood pressure.

• Having a higher blood pressure can increase your risk of heart attacks and strokes.
• Low blood pressure can equally have effects on your health.
• Regularly monitor your blood pressure and see your doctor if it’s too high or too low.
• Use our Blood Pressure Guide to understand your blood pressure reading.

Learn CPR with Right at Home Exeter and Exmouth next Heart Month - We will be hosting a learn CPR day on the 30^th of March at Pynes Hill Business Centre, Pynes Hill, Exeter, EX2 5JL, from 10.00 – 14.00. To help spread awareness and teach people a life-saving skill.

As a part of Heart Month here at Right at Home Exeter and Exmouth we are working with the British Heart Foundation to teach CPR to local families, groups, businesses and community members, using the charity’s ReviR App. Part of a wider initiative across the whole Right at Home network, this year we hope to teach CPR to as many individuals as possible, to help save more lives. We hope this will help equip people to carry out CPR if they ever witness the worst happening to a family member or friend. Introduced in 2022, RevivR app is free to download and can teach users CPR in just 15 minutes. The app provides users with live feedback using a phone or tablet camera, advising on changes to speed, pressure, and movement. For information on attending our CPR Training Open Day contact exeter@rightathome.co.uk

Call To Action

At Right at Home Exeter and Exmouth we do all we can to support our Clients and their loved ones to live a healthy and active lifestyle. For more information on our Homecare Services in Exeter and Exmouth, contact us on 01392 574323, or exeter@rightathome.co.uk.