Heart Month

February is Heart Month and this year we’re urging people to take at least 10 minutes a day to help improve their heart health.

Did you know that almost 1 in 2 adults in the UK have high cholesterol? We all need some cholesterol in our blood to stay healthy, but too much can lead to serious health problems such as heart attacks and strokes.

Cholesterol levels can be affected by several factors including lifestyle, diet, genetics and health conditions such as diabetes. Anyone can have high cholesterol, even if you are young, slim, eat well and exercise because it can be a genetic condition. 

There are currently seven million people in the UK living with cardiovascular disease, which includes heart attack and stroke. However, in many cases people can reduce their risk of these conditions by:

·         Improving their diet;

·         Doing more physical activity;

·         Quitting smoking. 

New statistics show that less than a third (30%) of adults eat five pieces of fruit and vegetables a day, and 33% of men and nearly half (45%) of women do not do the recommended 150 minutes of physical activity a week. 

We’re encouraging people to ‘start small’ by taking at least 10 minutes every day to make a small change towards a healthier lifestyle during February’s Heart Month. This is in line with government recommendations that adults should aim to be active daily, ‘in bouts of 10 minutes or more’, adding up to at least 150 minutes per week.

For more information and  Lifestyle Advice please visit The Health & Wellbeing pages.

Article submitted by: Health & Wellbeing Team