Heart Healthy Childhood Translates To A Heart Healthy Future

There are no two ways about the fact that the lifestyle habits one inculcates in their childhood shapes their future health, especially health of the heart. In view of heart disease being the leading cause of death across the globe, prioritising one’s heart health becomes more important than ever.

When it comes to heart health, our discussion mainly centers on adults, but the fact that heart disease can begin in childhood may come as a shocker for you. Also, the heart-healthy habits that children develop can go a long way towards keeping cardiovascular disease at bay with increasing age.

Here are a few steps to a healthy ticker for kids now and as they grow:

Regular physical activity- This is a no-brainer. The importance of regular physical activity for a healthy ticker cannot be emphasized enough. Doctors recommend 1 hour of exercise for children daily. This will help keep blood pressure in a healthy range and help manage stress well. Kid-friendly activities range from walking, jump rope, tag to swimming, skating.

Healthy foods- What you eat is also instrumental in keeping the ticker in tip-top condition. Parents should encourage their kids to eat healthy. Fruits and vegetables should comprise a bulk of their diet- not processed foods, saturated fat and trans fat (unhealthy fats), salt and refined sugar- for their daily intake of adequate minerals and vitamins.

The significance of quality sleep- It is important for kids to receive 10-11 hours of quality sleep daily for them to receive sufficient rest to function well through the day. Good amount of sleep will replenish their energies to give in their 100 percent in whatever they do.

Hydration- Staying hydrated through the day too is important. Drinking 8 glasses of water per day is ideal. Low-fat milk is another healthy choice. Some unhealthy stuff includes sports and energy drinks, soda, etc.

Aside from these aforementioned measures, undergoing screening for heart disease during childhood is just as important. Heart disease screenings are even more important for children that are overweight, have diabetes, and those that have a family history of high cholesterol or heart disease.

Some of the common screenings for heart disease include

1.      Monitoring blood pressure

2.      Fasting lipid profile

3.      Fasting levels of glucose in the blood

4.      Body Mass Index (BMI) screening

Screening is a crucial step toward keeping heart disease at bay in your kid and significantly cutting the risk that your kid will develop it in adulthood.

Doctor after assessing the risk will devise a plan comprising the appropriate diet and exercise, medication (if any) in preventing heart disease. Also, don’t forget to notify your doctor about anything amiss with your child’s health.

If you are a resident of Memphis and wish to equip yourself in the lifesaving CPR procedure, without further ado sign up for a CPR class at the AHA accredited CPR Memphis in Tennessee. To register for a class, call CPR Memphis on 901-438-4200. Classes are held at 8014 Club Center Drive Suite 8 Cordova, TN 38016.