Even though heart disease is largely preventable, it’s still the leading cause of death in the United States, and in Mississippi, where we have the second highest rate of heart disease in America.
Heart disease is not shared equally among all communities. In Mississippi alone, there are more than 162 thousand people with coronary heart disease. If they were all in one city, it would be the largest in the state.
Here at UProot, we’ve talked about how to prevent heart disease before: being physically active, eating a healthy diet, managing stress, not smoking, getting enough sleep, and controlling your blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes.
All this can improve your heart health, but the impact can be even greater when you join forces with friends and family members to live healthier lives together.
Studies have shown that having positive, close relationships and feeling connected to others benefits your overall health!
Connecting with Others is Good for Your Heart
People with close relationships at home, work, or in their community tend to be healthier and live longer. One reason, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), is that we’re more successful at meeting our health goals when we work on them with others.
Feeling connected and having positive, close relationships with others benefits our overall health, including our blood pressure and weight.
It’s not just the magic of friendship: Having people in our lives who motivate and care for us helps us achieve those goals.
So help raise awareness about heart health among those you care about. Have conversations about heart health so they can better understand their risk factors for heart disease and take actionable steps to prevent or reduce them.
Don’t Stress!
It’s important to remind yourself that you don’t have to make big changes all at once.
Small steps will get you where you want to go.
A small change you actually make is better than a big effort you never undertake.
Managing stress helps your heart health.
small steps to take together
- Find someone in your friend group, at work, or in your family who also wants to reach or maintain a healthy weight. Check in with them regularly to stay motivated.
- We tend to eat like our friends and family, so ask others close to you to join in your effort to eat healthier. Together, follow the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan.
- Quit smoking! To help you quit, ask others for support, or join an online support group. Research shows that people are much more likely to quit if their spouse, friend, or sibling does. Social support online can help you quit.
- Invite family, friends, colleagues, or members of your community to join you in your efforts to be more physically active.
- Set goals with a friend or family member to do a relaxing activity every day, like walking, yoga, or meditation
- Participate in an online stress-management program together.
- Physical activity also helps reduce stress.
- Sleeping 7-9 hours a night helps to improve heart health. De-stressing will help you sleep, as does getting a 30-minute daily dose of sunlight. Take a walk instead of a late afternoon nap!
- Family members and friends: remind each other to turn off the screen and stick to a regular bedtime.
- Keeping a log of your blood pressure, weight goals, physical activity, and, if you have diabetes, your blood sugar will help you stay on a heart-healthy track.
- Ask your friends or family to join you in the effort. Check out NHLBI’s My Heart Health Tracker.
Helping others where you live, work, and enjoy your free time can help foster heart-healthy lifestyles and build healthier communities. Learn more about heart health and find resources to share in your community at www.hearttruth.gov.