If you regularly load up on oatmeal for breakfast, eat salmon for dinner and jog using a heart rate monitor on the weekends, you probably think you're pretty heart smart.
But if during the work week you're stressed out, constantly hunched over your computer and eating erratically, experts say, you're not doing enough.
It's estimated that one in three American adults has one or more types of cardiovascular disease, according to the American Heart Association's 2008 statistics. If you want to avoid becoming one of them or, worse, one of the nearly 2,400 Americans who die each day from cardiovascular disease, you've got to find ways to make your work life heart healthy, too.
Top Tips Even if they work desk jobs, you can still accumulate 20 to 30 minutes of activity during the day--without changing into gym clothes.
The work day is full of opportunities for short bursts of exercise. That could mean walking briskly between your car or the train and your office, or taking the stairs, instead of the elevator. Bring sneakers and take a 15-minute walk at lunch, or use resistance bands while you're on a long phone call. Anything you can do to get yourself moving will have an impact on your heart.
The same is true of stretching, says Stefan Aschan, owner and founder of Strength123, which provides nutrition and fitness programs both online and in New York City. By targeting the muscle groups, such as the hip flexors, chest and abdomen, that are shortened by sitting for long periods of time, you'll help prevent aches and pains. Some research also suggests you'll increase blood flow, which may help expand your arteries and keep them pliable.
But if during the work week you're stressed out, constantly hunched over your computer and eating erratically, experts say, you're not doing enough.
It's estimated that one in three American adults has one or more types of cardiovascular disease, according to the American Heart Association's 2008 statistics. If you want to avoid becoming one of them or, worse, one of the nearly 2,400 Americans who die each day from cardiovascular disease, you've got to find ways to make your work life heart healthy, too.
Top Tips Even if they work desk jobs, you can still accumulate 20 to 30 minutes of activity during the day--without changing into gym clothes.
The work day is full of opportunities for short bursts of exercise. That could mean walking briskly between your car or the train and your office, or taking the stairs, instead of the elevator. Bring sneakers and take a 15-minute walk at lunch, or use resistance bands while you're on a long phone call. Anything you can do to get yourself moving will have an impact on your heart.
The same is true of stretching, says Stefan Aschan, owner and founder of Strength123, which provides nutrition and fitness programs both online and in New York City. By targeting the muscle groups, such as the hip flexors, chest and abdomen, that are shortened by sitting for long periods of time, you'll help prevent aches and pains. Some research also suggests you'll increase blood flow, which may help expand your arteries and keep them pliable.
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