Everyone wants to live a long and happy life, and there is one simple thing you can do right now to help you live longer.
A neurosurgeon has gone viral on TikTok after urging everyone to improve their heart health with one easy, free activity.
Do this right now to ‘help you live longer’
Dr. Brian Hoeflinger said the secret to adding years onto your life is… walking!
“Just going out for a simple walk, you don’t think it’s doing much but it’s really strengthening your heart and lowering your heart rate, which helps your heart live longer and helps you live longer,” he said.
The neurosurgeon explained that your heart is actually a muscle, so walking will strengthen it. Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, so improving your heart health is the number one way to help you live longer.
“When you’re out walking, your heart rate goes up and that increased heart rate is exercising your heart muscle and so your heart gets stronger,” he explained.
As your muscle gets stronger, it contracts harder. Over time, your heart doesn’t have to beat as fast because you’re getting more blood flowing around your body with each contraction. That’s why people who run or walk a lot usually have a lower heart rate – the muscle is stronger.
The neuroscientist urged everyone to get out walking, but any aerobic exercise does the same thing, so you could opt for swimming, dancing or cycling instead.
Other ways to improve your heart health
On top of being physically active, it’s also incredibly important to eat a healthy, balanced diet for a healthy cardiovascular system. The NHS recommends eating a diet that’s low in fat, high in fiber, includes plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables and whole grains.
You should limit the amount of salt you eat to no more than 6g (0.2oz) a day and avoid food containing saturated fats, because these will increase the levels of bad cholesterol in your blood. Foods high in saturated fat include hard cheese, fatty meat and cakes.
A balanced diet should still include unsaturated fats, like oily fish, avocados and nuts. On top of that, you should also try to avoid consuming too much sugar, as this can increase your chances of developing diabetes.
Other things you can do to improve your heart health include keeping to a healthy weight, giving up smoking, reducing your alcohol consumption and keeping your blood pressure and diabetes under control.
Dr. Brian Hoeflinger is a board-certified neurosurgeon who has been practising neurosurgery in the Toledo area for more than 25 years. He gained his medical degree from the University Of Toledo College Of Medicine.
