Heart health is essential to overall good health. When the heart beats — which it does 2.5 billion times in the average lifetime — it delivers nutrient-rich blood supplying oxygen throughout the body and removes toxins and waste.
Positive lifestyle habits contribute to improved cardiovascular health and lowered risk of heart disease. Heart disease and stroke are among the leading causes of death in the U.S., and cardiovascular disease results in hundreds of billions of dollars each year in medical expenses and lost productivity.
You and your team spend a significant amount of time at work, which makes the workplace an ideal place to encourage heart-healthy habits. Focus on supporting two key practices, eating nutritious foods and exercising regularly, to help everyone in your organization prioritize heart health.
Eat for heart health
Offer informational resources: Materials, workshops, cooking classes, or other resources to employees to make heart-healthy eating easy to understand and achieve. If you have the budget, provide or subsidize healthy snacks and meals during shifts. Promote these basic principles:
- Eat more plants: Vegetables and fruits are rich in dietary fiber and low in calories, and an excellent source of vitamins and minerals. Strive to make plants the centerpiece of each meal. You have countless delicious options to choose from, and when you fill your plate with fruits and vegetables, you have less room for meat, dairy, and processed foods.
- Minimize salt intake: Consuming too much sodium can lead to high blood pressure, which is a risk factor for heart disease. The American Heart Association recommends that adults eat no more than 1,500 to 2,300 mg of sodium a day. Limiting fast food, salty snacks, and processed meats can help limit salt intake.
- Eat a mix of healthy foods: Aim to incorporate a balance of different foods in your diet, including whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, and health fats and oils and lean meats and dairy in moderation
Walk for heart health
Walking is one of the easiest and most effective ways to get moving. All you need is a pair of good shoes and a little bit of space. Not only does walking improve cardiovascular health, it can also lowers the risk of other diseases, strengthen the immune system, and improve mood, cognition, memory, and sleep.
Look for opportunities to support walking for employees, inside and outside the workplace. Offer free or discounted fitness trackers or apps. Start lunchtime or coffee break walking groups. Sign up teams to participate in fun or fundraising walks. This fall, MedHQ team members will participate in the American Heart Association (AHA) Heart Walk in Chicago for the sixth year. It’s enjoyable and motivating to move together and support a cause we care deeply about.
We believe happier and healthier people are the biggest driver behind a thriving business. This blog post is part of our Heart of the Business initiative and our ongoing commitment to delivering health and wellness content to support healthy employees, and in turn, healthy businesses.
To learn more about Heart of the Business, click here.