Ways to Keep Your Heart Healthy at 40

Your skin may be the biggest organ on your body and your shield of armor and extremely important to care for but your heart is the engine that gives life to all your organs. Without a healthy heart, everything else dies. In your 40's you start to pay more attention to your skin, particularly the fine signs of aging and things like the heart don't get as much airtime as say your daily skin care routine. In your 40's your risks for heart disease increases so it is high time you give your heart its fair share of airtime.

Look at your heart in the same fashion you would look at your skin care routine and follow the basics such as eating right, exercising, maintaining a healthy weight, refraining from smoking (guilty as charged), and limiting your alcohol intake. These are all great practices for taking care of your skin as well so in a sense you are multi tasking here. A healthy skin care routine suggest you first take care of your skin from the inside out that way you have a healthy foundation to follow through with the rest of your skin care routine. A healthy heart helps to achieve healthy skin. It is all connected here people; the hipbone is connected to the leg bone, the organs are connected to the heart and on and on. Without a healthy foundation the products you pile on to your face are never going to achieve the same the maximum results as they would if they were applied on to healthy skin.

In your 40's there are a few other things you should take into consideration regarding a maintaining a healthy heart. As you age your heart ages too. Your heart and arteries begin to work differently; they no longer pump as effectively as they did in your 20's. You face more stressors in your life so it is important to stay heart smart and stay on top of your life-giving organ.

By the age of 45, consider having your blood glucose levels checked, especially if you are at risks of diabetes. Diabetes can play havoc on the old ticker.

Squeeze in as much exercise time as you can. In your 40's this can seem almost next to impossible if you have children as well as in the 40's many of us are tending to our elderly parents as well. Try changing some of your normal habits. Park further away from the grocery store for the walk time; use the steps instead of elevators when you can. A great one is move your laundry into the basement. That is sure to give you a great work out, however be prepared to move it back up to ground level come your 50's. A person can only handle hauling laundry baskets up and down steps for just so long. Another option is to invest in a treadmill and walk it while you watch your favorite T.V. program. Maybe actually walk the dog when you let it out to do its duty instead of just opening the door and sending it about its business.

The hardest heart smart thing you can do is trying to lower stressor in your life. This one may take some work in this stage of the game. However, you could always agree to let you kids move out on their own at age 12 or whatnot, and have them take husband/wife or significant other with, put the parents in a nursing home, and send the dog to the pound just don't blame me if there are any repercussions! If you are smiling, you just helped your heart. Keep smiling and stay heart smart!