Step On It

You are not alone if you gained a few pounds over the holidays. Those pumpkin pie slices, Christmas cookies and flutes of champagne sure were tempting, right? We get it – most people gain one to two pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day.

While all bodies are beautiful, we would be remiss if we didn’t leap at the chance to tell you the connection between a high body mass index (BMI) and heart disease. Yes, even today, on National Ice Cream for Breakfast Day.

Excess weight strains your heart, and when the heart has to work harder to pump blood throughout your body, it can lead to narrowing arteries, high blood pressure and even heart failure.

Being overweight or having obesity is often accompanied by lifestyle habits we could improve, including a poor diet, sitting around too much and bad sleep habits.

That doesn’t mean you only have to eat “boring foods” from now on, but you should consider incorporating more fruit, veggies, lean protein and whole grains into your diet.

It also means jumping up from the couch and taking those streaming shows on the road, the treadmill or wherever you like to work out. Aim for 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise weekly.

Finally, get plenty of rest. We will dive deeper into sleep habits later in the month. However, not getting at least seven hours of sleep per night is linked to various health problems, including hypertension, diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease.

We’re not saying you have to quit all the things you loved about the holidays cold turkey (see what we did there?), but it is important to balance the scales.

An estimated 42% of American adults have obesity, and another 31% are overweight. However, losing as little as 5% of your body weight can lower your blood pressure, cholesterol levels and reduce your risk of developing heart disease. Also, losing just a pound relieves 3 to 4 pounds of pressure from your joints. That means losing 10 pounds relieves up to 40 pounds of pressure, which may make you feel much better about getting some exercise.

If you’ve struggled to lose weight despite various methods or have concerns about your weight impacting your heart health, it may be time to consult your doctor. Your healthcare provider can help you identify underlying medical conditions or hormonal imbalances hindering your weight loss efforts.

We all know that cardio is important for heart health, but what if you hate running or can’t sprint anymore? Next up, we’ll talk about why you should put on your dancing shoes instead!