Four Sweet Heart Tips – NRECA Employee Benefits Weekly

By the time you go to bed tonight, your heart will have beaten about 100,000 times today, making it one of the hardest working muscles in your body. So in honor of American Heart Month, take the time to give it some love in these four ways:

Don’t sweat it: Unmanaged stress can raise your blood pressure, leaving you at higher risk for heart attack. Writing in a journal, calling a friend or taking a 10-minute meditative or walk break can help soothe stress.
Step it up: Experts recommend 150 minutes of moderate activity a week and 10,000 steps a day for cardiovascular health. Take 30-minute daily walks or join a fitness class.
Go for the F foods: Skimping on salt while filling up on fiber and fish can serve up a healthy heart.
Quit tobacco: If you’re a tobacco user, stopping smoking and/or chewing is perhaps the number one thing you can do for your heart. MyHealth Coaches can help make quitting more manageable. A coach will work with you to create a plan, stay motivated, and even access helpful medications if appropriate. Want to learn more? Call 866.696.7322.

My Health Manager, powered by WebMD, can help you create the perfect recipe for a healthy heart. Visit the Cardiovascular Health Topics Center on your My Health Manager, powered by WebMD, to learn how to keep your heart healthy. Go to Cooperative.com > My Benefits > WebMD to get started. Once you are on MyHealth Manager, access the Cardiovascular Health Topic by clicking on “Health Information,” “All Topics” and then search for “Cardiovascular Health.”