Australian cardiologist gives top tips for maintaining a healthy heart this Heart Health Week

Australian cardiologist gives top tips for maintaining a healthy heart this Heart Health Week

Dr Jason Kaplan, Integrative Cardiologist shares his top alternative tips on improving your heart health this Heart Health Week.

Incidental exercise

“Taking 10,000 steps a day may seem daunting if you think it needs to be done on top of your usual day. But incidental exercise - the movements you make throughout the day - have been shown to be as beneficial to your health as a dedicated work out.¹ Try walking as often as possible, whether it’s using the stairs at work, walking to work or home from the school run, or parking further away at the shops. Even standing at your desk (try setting an alarm on your computer to remind you to stand regularly), whilst on the phone, or on the train or bus can decrease your waist measurements and risk of several health issues, including cardiovascular disease.²

Take a nap

“Having a short nap during the day isn’t an indulgence, it’s good for your blood pressure. A recent study found that a midday nap can lower the blood pressure as effectively as reducing salt and alcohol from your diet.”³

Take up a hobby

“Introducing a hobby into your daily life can have numerous benefits, one of which is to improve your health. Yoga, in particular, has been found to help reduce cortisol levels and inflammation within the body, while improving cardiovascular health. Yoga, walking, or tai chi involve gentle movements, and by doing them habitually, can turn a hobby into a healthy pastime.”

Do ‘secret’ exercise

“Typically, our bodies convert CoQ10 into Ubiquinol, a necessary process to help our bodies function well on a cellular level. However, as we get older our bodies find this more difficult. Exercise performance can be affected by oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction. Ubiquinol can help lower oxidative damage, promote exercise capacity and decrease fatigue. A daily Ubiquinol supplement may be the answer: research shows that Ubiquinol could support optimal heart hearth, natural cellular energy production, help prevent oxidative stress damage and replenish CoQ10 levels.^4,5,6,7 Put simply, this mean you’ll have more energy for activities, whether they’re intense or gentle.“”