Cardiac specialists do not rely on a single method to protect their health. In their daily lives, a few simple habits are repeated: short but intense movements, salt control, enough sleep, social contacts and regular interruptions of prolonged sitting.
Dr. Nicky Stamp, consultant in cardiothoracic surgery, warns that limitations in physical endurance, heart failure, coronary artery disease and valve diseases can occur as we age. According to her, the most important thing is to maintain the basic habits consistently.
Short loads instead of missed workouts
Dr. Stephen Kopecky, a preventive cardiologist at the „Mayo“ Clinic, uses short periods of movement when his work schedule does not allow for a full workout. Three or four times a day, he goes down the stairs to the five floors below his office to get a drink, then runs back up, taking about 90 seconds.
The article recalls the World Health Organization's recommendation for 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week. When stair running isn't an option, even short bursts of activity throughout the day can help reduce prolonged inactivity.
Music, sports and socializing
Kopetsky listens to classical music in his office because he finds it reduces stress. Some research cited by BBC Science Focus Magazine has linked classical music to activation of the parasympathetic nervous system - the part of the nervous system that helps you relax and slow your heart rate and breathing.
His other choice is tennis. A 2018 study cited in the article linked playing tennis to a 9.7-year longer life expectancy compared to not playing sports. For badminton, the figure is 6.2 years, and for soccer - 4.7 years. These results are observational and do not prove that a particular sport in itself causes a longer life.
For Dr. Stamp, the most appropriate activity is one that a person can maintain long-term and that brings them pleasure and social contact.
Less salt, more sleep
Dr. Amy Pollack, a cardiologist and director of the Women's Heart Clinic at the Mayo Clinic, follows a low-salt diet. That means not overdoing it with processed meats, ready-made meals, sauces, salty snacks and cheeses.
“A low-sodium diet, especially as you get older, is important for controlling blood pressure in many people,” Pollack says.Kopetsky identifies sleep as important for heart health and longevity. A review cited in the article that followed patients for nine years linked insomnia to a 69 percent higher risk of heart attack. The specialist suggests about eight hours of sleep, while the publication gives a range of seven to nine hours as a general guideline.
Breaking up on sitting
Dr. Regis Fernandez of the „Mayo“ Clinic doesn't stay seated for more than 20 to 30 minutes. Then he gets up or walks around for a few minutes.
“I stand up or walk around for a few minutes before sitting down again,“ Fernandez says.The six habits are not presented as a substitute for medical evaluation or as a one-size-fits-all prescription. What they have in common is consistency: exercise, a balanced diet, sleep, less stress, and limiting long periods of immobility.