Fitness & Wellness
World Heart Day 2020 - Theme and why is it celebrated
Heart disease is one of the most common causes of deaths in India. A study found that cardiovascular diseases contributed 28·1% of the total deaths in India in 2016. 31% of deaths across the world occur due to heart diseases. This can be owed to many factors such as unhealthy diet, obesity, tobacco and alcohol use.
World Heart Day 2020
World Heart Day 2020 is celebrated every year on 29th September. It aims to promote awareness about heart disease. According to World Heart Federation, this year aims to “Use heart to beat cardiovascular disease”. This is achieved by promoting awareness on heart disease, how to take better care of heart health, and advice from the medical community to the world. This event is celebrated in many countries across the world, and is of utmost importance due to coronavirus pandemic. People have been in lockdown for months and this has shown the situation of healthcare across the world.
People suffering from existing cardiovascular diseases are at a higher risk for coronavirus, according to World Heart Federation. So here are a few tips to maintain good heart health and ensure a healthy life.
Exercise
Exercise should be an important part of people’s lifestyles. This is especially true for the people who are at higher risk of suffering from cardiovascular diseases. Frequent walking and moderate intensity exercise can greatly reduce the risk of heart disease and help keep the body healthy and active. This is a boost to immunity, physical health as well as mental health. Runners show better cardiovascular fitness as well as an improved mental health when doing endurance training.
Diet
Fast food is unhealthy for the body. Obesity and weight issues can contribute to an increased likelihood for heart diseases. Therefore, maintaining a healthy, balanced diet that consists of all the necessary vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates and other nutrients is key to a better lifestyle. Exercise alone will not yield the benefits to better heart health and when combined with a good diet, it can lead to feeling and becoming healthier, along with a reduced risk of heart disease.
Lifestyle
Lifestyle plays an important part. Smoking and drinking are one of the highest contributing factors to heart disease. Smoking reduces blood flow to the heart and can cause blockages, leading to risk of heart disease. Drinking can cause liver disease, cancer and can cause a heart disease called cardiomyopathy. A fitter lifestyle can only be implemented when the decision is to make an overall change and not just in one single aspect. This can greatly improve overall well being and not just heart health.
These small changes can make a tremendous difference in heart health and greatly reduce the chances of diseases. The important takeaway from World Heart Day is that maintaining a healthy heart will directly influence better health overall.
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