The best way to protect your heart

The physical fitness of the elderly is gradually declining, especially the cardiovascular system is the part that is prone to problems. The elderly should do a good job of protecting their hearts. First of all, they should pay attention to diet, eat more complex carbohydrates, prevent atherosclerosis, strengthen massage, eat less salt, get up slowly, and don't force bowel movements. In addition, moderate exercise is a good way to protect the heart.

The best way to protect your heart

1. Eat more complex carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are an important part of your diet. Complex carbohydrates are rich in starch and fiber, which release energy slowly once they reach the body. Whole grains, cereals, brown rice, oatmeal, buckwheat and potatoes are all complex carbohydrates.

2. Massage Neiguan acupoint

The Neiguan point can be said to be the guardian of the heart and is directly related to the regulation of heart function. For example, sudden tachycardia and angina pectoris can be relieved by pressing the Neiguan point. You can also massage this point frequently on weekdays to dredge the meridians and prevent and maintain health.

With your palm facing up and making a fist, you can see two tendons in the middle of your palm. The Neiguan point is located between the two tendons, two inches above the transverse wrist crease. When massaging the Neiguan acupoint, you should use appropriate force, and it is best to massage until you feel a soreness and swelling.

3. Reduce salt and sodium intake

This helps prevent or reduce high blood pressure. Sodium is part of salt, but it is also found in large amounts in many condiments and canned foods. Try to choose "low sodium" and "no salt added" foods, and eat less sausages, ham, canned soups, and pickled vegetables.

4. Get up slowly

Studies have found that the risk of a heart attack in the early morning increases by 40%. The reason is that when the human body is awake, stress hormones such as adrenaline are secreted in the body, blood pressure will rise accordingly, and oxygen consumption will also increase.

When you wake up, your body is dehydrated, your blood is more concentrated and has more difficulty flowing. All of these things put a strain on the heart.

It is better to get up slowly rather than quickly in the morning, and be sure to leave enough "buffer time". After getting up, you must pay attention to keeping warm. If you like morning exercises, remember to warm up thoroughly before exercising to avoid increasing the burden on your heart. If you are taking a beta-blocker, it is best to take it before going to bed at night so that the drug can be most effective in the early morning.

5. Do finger exercises to protect your heart

The saying "ten fingers are connected to the heart" means that a person's ten fingers are closely related to the heart. Therefore, regularly moving your fingers will undoubtedly enhance heart function.

At the same time, since each finger has meridians that go directly through the limbs to the head, face and deep inside the brain, moving the fingers can stimulate different centers in the brain. Through various meridians, different functional exercise effects are produced on different areas of the brain.

6. Prevent high blood pressure

Hypertension is known as the silent killer. When blood pressure rises, the heart has to work harder to pump blood to all parts of the body.

If left untreated, high blood pressure increases your risk of stroke, angina, kidney disease, eye disease, and death. Ideal blood pressure should be 120/80 mmHg. A value over 140/90 is considered high blood pressure.