How to Get a Healthy Heart in a Few Minutes a Day

February is filled with thoughts of boxes of chocolates and a certain holiday that falls on February 14^th. With the heart being the iconic symbol of Valentine’s Day, it’s no coincidence that February is also National Heart Month. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. In fact, one in every three deaths is from heart disease and stroke which equals around 2,200 deaths per day. Many factors contribute to heart disease including being overweight, lack of exercise, smoking and unhealthy eating habits.

The hardest step to take in preventing heart disease is the first step! Here are some suggestions to make that first step easier! If fitness is not your thing, take that first step to making it part of your day. A simple action that benefits your heart is walking. Exercise can be fun, especially when you do it in a group setting, so consider a lunch break walking group. Thirty minutes a day is all it takes! You can track of your progress by easily counting your steps each day with a pedometer!

Did you know that walking can:

Lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (the “bad” cholesterol)
Raise high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (the “good” cholesterol)
Lower your blood pressure
Reduce your risk of or manage type 2 diabetes
Manage your weight
Improve your mood

Weight is certainly a concern for heart health. Did you know something as simple as cutting soda from your diet could improve your heart? How? Well, estimates show that two cans or glasses of soda per day add approximately 24 to 35 pounds per year. Dropping the soda means dropping those pounds.

Replace the soda with water! Water is crucial to your health. It makes up, on average, 60 percent of your body weight. Every system in your body depends on water. You can make it easy on yourself by keeping a water bottle with you during the day.

At CorporateSNOBS.com, we want to invite you join in on the fight to build healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke! We have a great collection of themed products in support of National Heart Month. We will donate a percentage of sales from the collection to the American Heart Association. Find out more and check out all of the great products on our website. Don’t forget to wear Red on Friday, February 3, 2012!