Every website, magazine, and even Doctor seems to have a general list of “Tips” for preventing cardiovascular problems. According to an article on WebMD, the American Heart Association suggests that the best “tip” for controlling and/or preventing heart disease is to personalize your approach rather than blindly following a general guideline.

One member of the team that released this finding said, “We need to do a better job finding ways to help people not only change their behaviors, but maintain them over a lifetime. As health care providers, we’re pretty good at saying that you are at risk for a disease, you need to lose weight, be more physically active, and eat more fruits and vegetables. While that’s easy to say, it’s not easy for the person to actually translate it into their everyday life.”

Here are some suggestions for easily integrating positive behavioral changes into your everyday life:

• Set realistic dietary and exercise goals

• Keep track of progress toward goals
• One-to-one counseling, which provides customized support to implementing and maintaining lifestyle changes
• Participate in small groups who share the same health-improvement goals
• See a health care provider that uses motivational interview techniques to encourage patients
• Seek counseling on how to manage setbacks
• Maintain recurring follow-up visits with doctors to update them on your progress and discuss concerns

Whether you’ve been diagnosed with a coronary artery disease (heart disease) or not, regular exercise is key to a healthy, happy heart. During the hot and humid summer months, it can be both difficult and dangerous to stay active if you don’t take the proper precautions. Here are some suggestions from the American Heart Association on how to stay active and safe, even when it’s hot outside:
• Go to a gym for a nice, cool environment with a variety of activities.
• Visit your favorite local swimming hole or taking swimming lessons at a pool.
• Start a walking group with your friends at the mall.
o The MyStart! Community, an online tool, encourages walkers to connect with others — whether from the neighborhood or on the other side of the country — to stay on track with a walking program.
• Take up an indoor sport, such as racquetball, basketball or volleyball, or taking an aerobics class.
• Go ice-skating.

If you do choose to exercise outside this summer, be sure to wear light, breathable clothing and pay close attention to possible signs of heat exhaustion and/or heatstroke (which can progress quickly). Drink plenty of water and pour some on your head if you need to cool down quickly. Consult a doctor or personal trainer about setting up an exercise program that will be safe and effective.
Enjoy the summer weather and stay cool!

With heart disease, it is crucial that exercise is an integrated part of a patients every day routine. Often it is thought that it is unsafe for patients to exercise. This is false; in fact it is unsafe for patients to avoid exercising. Exercising strengthens the heart thus contributing to the prevention of further complications. The key is to carefully monitor exercise routines and to be in constant consultation with a physician to ensure that there are no complications. While each exercise routine is carefully tailored to each patient, a recent Web Md article offers several forms of exercise that are have been found to be most effective for people with heart disease.
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Exercise plays a crucial role in both preventing heart disease as well as keeping it under control. Once a patient is diagnosed with a heart condition, there are numerous questions that are raised in regards to what are the safest and most effective habits. In a recently published article, “Safe Exercise for Heart Disease Patient,” Web MD offers several critical questions patients should ask their physician in addition to offering general work out tips. Read more