This Lifestyle Change Can Turn Back Time to Improve Heart Health

Improve heart health with this one simple lifestyle change!

In our younger years, physical activity was a given. Our days were filled with participating in sports programs, recess on the playground, and games of tag with friends. All of this naturally gave our heart the workout it needed to stay healthy. But as we grow older, a more sedentary lifestyle can settle in – having serious repercussions on our hearts, including stiffness, a decreased efficiency in oxygen production, and an elevated risk of heart disease and failure. Is there anything we can do to improve heart health and possibly even restore its functioning to what it was when we were younger?

A remarkable study is pointing to the encouraging news that people who modify their sedentary lifestyle patterns in midlife can actually turn the clock back on their heart health, obtaining the same heart efficiency as someone who is in their 30s. 

The study, led by Dr. Ben Levine of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and director of the Institute of Exercise and Environmental Medicine at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital, looked closely at healthy but sedentary adults ages 45 – 64. Half of the group began to engage in moderate- to high-intensity exercise, while the other half participated in nonaerobic exercise only. 

The results were dramatically different between these groups. The aerobic exercisers achieved greater heart flexibility, reduced stiffness, and an increase in oxygen production. The nonaerobic group’s hearts were completely unchanged. 

As Dr. Levine explains, “The sweet spot in life to get off the couch and start exercising is in late middle age when the heart still has plasticity. You may not be able to reverse the aging of the vessels if you wait.”

If you’d like to incorporate more exercise into your life or that of a senior you love, Hired Hands Homecare is here to help! As an award-winning provider of senior home care in Santa Rosa, CA and the neighboring areas, our caregivers can:

• Participate with seniors in doctor-approved exercise – making exercising more fun and serving as an accountability partner
• Plan and prepare heart-healthy meals
• Pick up prescriptions and groceries, and run other errands as needed
• Provide transportation to doctors’ appointments 
• And much more

Contact the in-home care team at Hired Hands Homecare, an award-winning provider of home care assistance in Santa Rosa, CA and nearby areas, and make life the best it can be each day – for seniors and their family caregivers alike! Our dependable, highly skilled respite care allows family members the chance to take much-needed time for exercise while the seniors they love enjoy quality time with our friendly caregivers.  

Call us any time at (866) 940-4343 to learn more!