Your heart is remarkable. Every day, it moves about 2,000 gallons of blood through your body—enough to fill a small swimming pool. Over a lifetime, it will beat roughly 2.5 billion times. However, unlike many tissues in the body, once heart muscle cells are damaged, they don’t easily recover. That’s why caring for your heart is a lifelong responsibility.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and the second leading cause of death in Canada, most commonly due to coronary artery disease. The encouraging news? “Most coronary artery disease is preventable,” says Dr. Sharonne Hayes, a cardiologist and professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic. But prevention is only possible by recognizing that heart health is built—or eroded—over time. It reflects decades of daily choices, not overnight fixes. The habits you practice consistently throughout your life shape the health of your heart years later, for better or worse.
Age and genetics influence heart health, but many powerful factors are within our control. Even so, stress, family demands, and a food system built for convenience work against healthy routines. Here are eight everyday choices shown to support heart health now and in the years ahead.
Eat for health. Build meals around whole foods, plenty of fruits and vegetables, and lean proteins. Fiber, in particular, helps protect against heart disease by supporting healthy cholesterol and blood sugar levels. Aim for vegetables at every meal, choose whole grains, and add supplements like fiber, vitamins, minerals, and more.
Move your body—and break up sitting. Regular movement strengthens the heart, improves circulation, supports healthy weight, and helps regulate blood pressure. Adults need about 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week; children need roughly 60 minutes a day. Just as important, prolonged sitting—now linked to higher risks of heart disease and metabolic dysfunction—can undermine those benefits, even in active people. Standing or moving briefly every 30–60 minutes helps restore blood flow and protect heart health.
Avoid tobacco. Cigarette smoking is the primary driver of preventable mortality. Quitting smoking is one of the most impactful steps you can take to reduce your risk of heart disease
Get 7–9 hours of sleep each night. Adequate sleep helps regulate blood pressure, reduce inflammation, and support healthy blood vessels. Consistently getting enough sleep lowers the risk of heart disease and other chronic conditions.
Maintain a healthy weight. Excess weight can force the heart to work harder, increasing blood pressure and raising the overall risk of heart disease. If you’re overweight, losing even 10% of your weight can result in significant health benefits.
Control cholesterol levels. When LDL cholesterol becomes oxidized and damaged—typically in the presence of chronic inflammation and insulin resistance—it can build up along artery walls, restricting blood flow to the heart. Exercise, healthy eating, proper nutritional supplements, and getting proper sleep can help bring levels back into a healthy range.
Manage blood sugar. Much of the food we eat is converted into glucose for energy. But when blood sugar stays elevated—meal after meal, year after year—it damages the heart and blood vessels from the inside out. Diets high in added sugar are linked to a significantly higher risk of cardiovascular disease.
Maintain healthy blood pressure. High blood pressure damages blood vessels and strains the heart, and because symptoms are rare, maintaining blood pressure levels below 120/80 is important. These four keys are important to maintain healthy blood pressure: 1) diet, 2) exercise, 3) proper supplementation of fiber, and 4) proper nutrients.
Your heart has been working for you since before you were born—every single day, without a break. It deserves your attention!
