John Mitchell, MD, a cardiothoracic surgeon at Utah Valley Hospital, says, “Proper care and maintenance of your heart is vital to prevent high blood pressure and possible heart disease later in life. Our hearts are the engines of our bodies, much like the Hemi engine of a muscle car. You’d take the proper care to maintain your car’s engine; it’s time you treat your body’s engine the same.”

3 Steps for Proper Heart Maintenance

Dr. Mitchell says everyone needs to focus on following three essential components for proper heart maintenance:

Proper fuel

Fueling your car properly reduces carbon build-up in the engine, just like proper eating reduces the amount of cholesterol in your blood stream. Limit your fat and cholesterol intake and eat one-half plate of fruits and vegetables at lunch and at dinner.

Regular exercise

If you left your car in the garage and never took it out for a drive, it wouldn’t start properly when you need it. The same thing applies to your body. Aim to get your heart rate over 100 for 45 minutes a day. Another great goal is to reach 10,000 steps daily.

Appropriate downtime

Just like your car needs pit stops, your body needs the right amount of rest. Try to get at least eight hours of sleep a night. If you don’t get the recommended amount of sleep, your heart rate beats faster and your blood pressure stays continually high. This puts you at an increased risk of heart disease and even worse — a heart attack.

 

These three simple tips equal a healthy, happier heart and can extend the life of your engine, and your heart.

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