Did you know that your heart beats about 2.5 billion times over your lifetime? That’s kinda amazing to think about, right?

During American Heart Month this month, our team at AFC Urgent Care TN is here to help you make every heartbeat count with healthy lifestyle habits.

What Is Heart Disease?

Heart disease is defined as any heart condition that is caused by the narrowing of blood vessels, blood clots and/or structural damage to the heart muscle or vessels.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease is the leading cause of death among American men and women. Therefore, it is important to use each day to improve your heart health.

Heart Disease Risk Factors

• Family history
• High blood pressure
• Smoking
• Obesity
• Physical inactivity
• Diabetes

How Does Exercise Improve Your Heart Health?

When you exercise, you build stronger bones and muscles. The same goes for your heart when you exercise. Your heart is a muscle, and as you exercise, the muscle just gets stronger and stronger.

Plus, exercise can also help to mitigate some of the other risk factors associated with heart disease, like stress, high blood pressure and obesity.

Other Ways to Improve Heart Health

• Quit smoking.
• Reduce sodium intake.
• Eat a heart-healthy diet, including fruits and vegetables.
• Manage stress.

Has it been over a year since you had a checkup? Stop by one of our AFC Urgent Care TN centers today—no appointment is required.