It’s heart health month, which usually invites a deluge of articles about making your heart ‘healthier.’ If you’re anything like me 12 years ago, you might feel defeated by routine advice that’s never made a difference.
You’ve heard (and attempted) ‘eat less, move more’ hundreds of times with little effect. But whenever you explore ‘alternative’ strategies like intense influencer workout routines, ‘heart-healthy’ supplements, and fad diets, they feel too extreme and out of reach.
Good news: you don’t need extreme intensity to improve your heart health. It’s often more sustainable to follow a few daily, boring practices.
Let me walk through one such ‘boring’ heart health improvement plan that you can execute with little to no conscious effort.
But first: one quick note
I’m not saying that dramatic dietary changes or certain heart health supplements don’t have an effect on your heart health. In all actuality, there’s a very good chance it could be helpful in extreme cases, or if you’re at significant risk of serious long-term health issues.
But for the vast majority of Americans, diving in ‘feet first’ isn’t always effective. And if you’ve attempted multiple plans with little result, taking the ‘boring’ route might be more sustainable.
So I’m going to focus on small, easily manageable changes you can use today to see results within weeks.
1. Walk more
Exercise doesn’t have to be the intimidating, multi-hour commitment most people believe it is. Yes, that can work wonders on improving cardiovascular strength for the average person. But you don’t need two-hour gym sessions or intensive routines to see progress.
Take walking, for instance, which is one of the most cardiovascularly healthy activities you can do. Studies show that walking more than 10 minutes a day can dramatically improve your heart health and reduce risks for cardiovascular disease.
You don’t even need to hit that fabled 10,000 steps per day metric. Even 7,000 steps per day (or a 30-minute walk) can rewire nerves in your heart and reverse dangerous stiffness. Not only does this help to heal the heart, but it can also prevent future cardiac events.
So, park a little further away from the grocery store entrance. Or start taking the stairs instead of the escalator while you’re at work.
And if walking doesn’t make sense…
2. Move once an hour
Recent statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics suggest that the average American worker spends over 40% of their day sitting down. We also know that sitting for long periods of time can increase your risk of heart disease, regardless of whether you exercise outside of that window.
Now, as mentioned, a 90-minute block for exercise may not make sense for your existing schedule. But short bursts of movement at the top of each hour (think resistance training rather than cardiovascular training) likely do make sense and they can make a significant difference in your health.
Start with just 10 body weight squats every 45 to 60 minutes, for example. Research shows this practice can dramatically improve blood sugar regulation, which can help to manage metabolic diseases such as insulin resistance.
I also realize that squats once per hour might still feel like too much depending on your job.
So I simply recommend finding ways to move yourself regularly throughout the day. You might:
- Get a smartwatch that reminds you to move consistently
- Go for exercise ‘snacks’ that last three minutes each, three times per day (like running up and down stairs, for example)
- Set an alarm on your phone to refill your water bottle
3. Eat more real food
We already know that processed food makes up the vast majority of the US food supply. We also have a great deal of research indicating it’s extremely detrimental.
So I recommend you:
- Stop buying anything with an ingredients label, and learn the marketing lingo so you don’t get duped by healthwashing claims.
- Use up what you have in the pantry and fridge, then get creative as you run out of ingredients. No more pasta? Time for spaghetti squash or zucchini.
- Pick one day per week to prepare meals in advance. This includes snacks, if you’re a snacker. No more guessing about what’s for lunch or dinner. Everything is prepped so you just need to dig in.
Eating whole, real food provides nutrient density that fuels the heart and helps it heal from previous damage. It also helps you avoid last-minute eating decisions that could eventually lead to chronic disease.
The only caveat I’d give is reducing your carbohydrate intake by not purchasing foods like rice, flour, or sugar. This is typically par for the course when eating whole, real food. And while it seems like a dramatic step, using up what you have in the pantry as you go will make this feel more ‘boring’ and gradual.
You can check the new dietary guidelines for more information on real food.
Curious to learn more about cooking at home? You can learn more about this in Stay Off My Kitchen Table.
4. Stop drinking sugar
This can be an incredibly simple way to improve your heart health without even trying.
Remember: having three sodas per day (or one per meal) is around 450 calories and over 110 grams of sugar.
To start, just try having one fewer soft drink per day, or switching to unsweetened carbonated beverages like sparkling water. Diet drinks can be a good alternative to get away from sugar, but keep in mind that fake sugar isn’t necessarily better for you. Drinks sweetened with allulose and no artificial colors or flavors will have the best possible impact on your heart.
5. Don’t eat when you’re not hungry
It sounds like an incredibly obvious statement for some. For others, it might sound dramatic or even dangerous to avoid eating for that amount of time.
But allowing yourself to only eat when hungry — and not simply eating because you’re ‘supposed’ to eat — could have some very positive benefits for your heart.
One study found that “all types of fasting” can positively affect the heart health risks of a population. Another study focused on fasting during Ramadan, in which participants eat one meal a day for 30 days. This practice improved biomarkers for cardiac patients, including:
- Lipid profile (LDL, HDL, and triglycerides)
- Systolic blood pressure
- Body weight and BMI
- Waist circumference
- Immune system
Now, you don’t need to limit yourself to one meal per day to see these effects in your own life. Fasting just 12 hours per day (from dinner to breakfast) could work wonders for you. Some people don’t feel hungry for breakfast, so they choose to not eat until lunch. Or, if you’re the opposite person, you may eat breakfast and lunch, then go without dinner.
The ultimate goal is simply to give yourself space between meals. A great place to start is with a 16:8 eating window. You eat within an eight-hour window (think 9 to 5), then fast the rest of the day.
You can learn more about creating a fasting routine here.
