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Home » Fitness » HEALTH AND FITNESS: Heart health numbers to know – Aiken Standard

February is American Heart Month, an ideal time to assess your risk of heart disease and take steps to improve your health.

When it comes to heart disease, there are several numbers, including your blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose, you (or your doctor) may be monitoring.

But there is another set of numbers that are equally important for preventing and treating heart disease: 0, 5, 10, 25 and 30.

0 is for no smoking. Cigarette smoking more than doubles your risk of heart disease and stroke, is by far the leading cause of lung cancer and other lung diseases and is responsible for more than 400,000 deaths per year. If you smoke, quitting now is one of the most important steps you can take to improve your health.

Nicotine replacement therapy in the form of gum, lozenges and patches, as well as prescription medications, can help, but quitting really does require serious dedication. Its well worth the effort and some benefits of quitting can be realized almost immediately.

5 is for eating five fruits and vegetables each day. A healthy diet is an essential aspect of good health. While there is no one single measure of a healthy diet, adequate fruit and vegetable consumption is widely considered to be essential for good health.

Fruits and vegetables contain vitamins, minerals and fiber, and most are low in calories. At a minimum, you should eat five servings per day with an emphasis on fresh fruits and vegetables. Your real goal should be to include fruits and vegetables in all meals and snacks, but five servings per day is a good start.

10 is for 10,000 steps per day. Regular physical activity is essential for good health. Almost any activity counts, and a good goal is to be as active as possible throughout the day. You can track your physical activity using a pedometer (step counter) or an app on your phone.

A target of 10,000 steps per day is a commonly cited goal, but you should try to take as many steps as possible. You can do this by minimizing the time you spend sitting, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, and walking instead of driving when possible. More steps are better, even if you dont get to 10,000.

25 is for maintaining a healthy body weight, or a body mass index (BMI) of less than 25. The BMI is a measure of weight relative to height. A BMI of 18-25 is considered healthy, 25-29 is considered overweight, and 30 and higher is considered obese.

The risk of health problems like diabetes, heart disease and some cancers goes up with BMI, so maintaining a healthy body weight is good for your health. If you are overweight, you should lose weight, even if you dont make it to an ideal weight.

30 is for 30 minutes of exercise per day. In addition to being as active as possible throughout the day, you should dedicate a minimum of 30 minutes for exercise or other activity. Considerable research shows that that as little as 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity leads to improved fitness and health with greater benefits coming from longer duration or higher intensity activity.

This can include exercise a brisk walk or jog, lifting weights or other aerobic exercise as well as other activities like housework and yard work. Your goal should be to sit as little as possible, move as much as possible and make time each day to be active.

Brian Parr, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the Department of Exercise and Sports Science at USC Aiken where he teaches courses in exercise physiology, nutrition and health behavior. You can learn more about this and other health and fitness topics at http://drparrsays.com or on Twitter @drparrsays.

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HEALTH AND FITNESS: Heart health numbers to know - Aiken Standard

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Home » Fitness » HEALTH AND FITNESS: Heart health numbers to know – Aiken Standard