Give your Heart some Love this February
February may be renowned for Valentine’s Day but it is also National Heart Research Month – a time to raise awareness of everything to do with that incredible organ that sustains life. But, if COVID-19 restrictions and work-from-home arrangements have left you less physically active than usual, you may need to give your heart some love.
A recent study from the University of Southern California has found working from home increased the average workday by an extra 1.5 hours which, not surprisingly, had negatively impacted our physical and mental health. Working from home has also led to people eating more. *
None of those consequences are good for heart health so why not use those extra hours at the desk, to reduce your risk of stroke or heart attack instead! The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare says cardiovascular diseases cause 27% of deaths in Australia each year. It also calculates around 1.2 million Australians have one or more heart or vascular conditions.
Top five tips for a healthy heart to reduce your risk of stroke, heart disease and heart attacks:
- Eat a heart-healthy diet
- Reduce salt, processed food, fast food and sugar
- Reduce the waistline
- Less than 80cm for females
- Less than 94 cm for males
- Get the blood pumping
- Aim for 2 ½ hours of moderate exercise a week
- Quit tobacco
- Within a year, your risk of heart disease halves!
- Know your numbers
- Check your blood pressure
- Check your cholesterol
RBWH Foundation has been supporting medical research at Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital for the past 35 years. If you can, please support crucial heart research by donating at www.rbwhfoundation.com.au
