Get to Know Your Heart
Your heart is one of the hardest-working, most dependable organs in your body. During your lifetime, it will pump nearly 1.5 million barrels of blood, enough to fill 200 train tank cars! It is your body’s built-in engine, working every second to consistently pump blood to fuel your organs with oxygen and nutrients, clear out waste, and keep everything flowing smoothly at a healthy rhythm and pressure. Working with a network of blood vessels and its own built-in electrical wiring to keep a steady rhythm, your heart quietly supports everything you do, from sleeping and breathing to running and laughing.
Know Your Numbers – “The Big Three”
High blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high glucose levels (diabetes) are often linked and together greatly increase heart disease risk. To keep this powerful organ working at its best, regular monitoring of a few key health numbers can make a big difference.
Key numbers to keep track of include:
- Blood pressure
- Cholesterol levels
- Blood glucose
While high blood pressure often shows no signs or symptoms, having your blood pressure checked regularly is important and easy to do. You can get screened at your doctor’s office and drugstores, or even check it yourself at home, using a home blood pressure monitor.
Recognizing the Warning Signs of a Heart Attack
Heart disease usually develops slowly over time. This means you may not notice it at first. Early signs of heart disease include:
- Chest pain
- Fatigue
- Shortness of breath
- Coughing
- Wheezing
- Swelling in the lower legs
- Aching or numbness in the legs
- Fast heart rate
- Uneven heart rate
Ways to Keep Your Heart Healthy & Happy
Maintain a Healthy Weight
Being overweight or obese can increase your risk of high blood pressure, which is why health providers often use body mass index (BMI) to assess whether your weight is in a healthy range. At your next visit, a physical therapist can review your BMI and discuss practical ways to reach a healthier weight.
Eating a Heart-Healthy Diet
A study published in Nutrients found that ketogenic diets significantly reduced insulin and fasting glucose, while raising beneficial HDL cholesterol, thereby lowering several primary risk factors of cardiovascular disease development. A healthy ketogenic diet focuses on high-quality fats, moderate protein intake, and 7 to 10 cups of non-starchy vegetables daily, while avoiding added sugars and limiting carbohydrates to less than 50 grams a day. Foods like wild-caught fish, liver, extra-virgin olive oil, almonds, raw sauerkraut, and leafy greens contain important nutrients that help keep your blood vessels healthy, protect your cells, and support normal blood pressure. Refer to the updated Dietary Guidelines for Americans for healthy food options.
Music Moves Your Heart
Surprisingly, one of the easiest ways to support your heart may already be playing through your headphones. Your heartbeat changes and mimics the music you listen to. Research confirms that your heartbeat can indeed adapt to the tempo and intensity of the music you are listening to, with fast-paced, high-energy music tending to increase heart rate, while slower, relaxing music helps lower it. A healthy heart beats an average of 60–80 times per minute, and music can influence this rhythm. This phenomenon is driven by the part of your brain that processes sound, which sends signals to the part that controls automatic body functions, like heart rate and respiration. Music has also been shown to help with anxiety and getting enough sleep, which are also major driving factors for a healthy heart.
How Physical Therapy Supports Heart Health
Physical therapy isn’t just for recovering from injuries; it plays an important role in cardiovascular health, too.
A physical therapist can:
- Design safe, individualized exercise programs
- Help build endurance without overstraining your heart
- Improve mobility and balance so you can stay active
- Address pain or joint issues that limit movement
- Support recovery after cardiac events or surgery
For people with heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis, or a history of inactivity, physical therapy provides a structured, supervised movement routine that builds confidence while reducing risk.