Are You Taking Care of Your Heart?
Have you been diagnosed with high blood pressure? Do you get out of breath going up a flight of stairs? Your heart is vital to your survival. At Priority Physical Therapy, our therapists understand how important it is to address underlying issues and create a plan to help prevent injury and disease.
Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States, accounting for one in four deaths each year. Fortunately, most forms of heart disease are preventable by making lifestyle changes, including exercising, practicing good nutritional habits, and reducing stress in your everyday life.
February is American Heart Month. Our team at Priority Physical Therapy can help improve your heart health by helping you learn how to eat a well-balanced diet, exercise regularly, and avoid anything that can cause damage to it.
Request an appointment with one of our specialists to learn how to keep your heart healthy!
5 Tips for Better Heart Health
Taking action and maintaining a healthy lifestyle will assist you in making sure your heart is healthy. When your heart doesn’t get enough attention, significant problems might arise in the artery lining, leading to plaque buildup. Plaque forming in your arteries is the cause of heart attacks and strokes.
Here are 5 simple ways you can make sure your heart continues to perform at its best:
- Exercise to increase your heart rate: Walking and biking around your area regularly can help you raise your heart rate. Exercising regularly can help you lose weight, reduce your stress and improve your mood.
- Participate in strength training: Strength training is one of the most effective injury-prevention strategies for the body and heart. Your therapist can help you develop safe strength-training techniques.
- Maintain mobility of the joints and muscles: Regular stretching and mobility work keeps you active and makes you feel better. The more active you are, the healthier your heart is! Knowing the right workouts and therapies for your joint and muscle health will help you feel better and enhance your overall function.
- Eat healthy meals: Nutrition plays a huge role in heart health. Plant-based foods, whole grains, lean meats, and healthy fats like fatty fish and olive oil should all be in your diet. Fried foods, trans fats, processed foods, and added sugar should all be avoided.
- Manage your stress: Stress can raise blood pressure, so do your best to find daily ways to relax. The less stressed out you are, the less tension and stress you place on your heart. Exercising, getting adequate sleep, stretching before bed, or taking a nightly warm shower are all things that could help with relaxation.
The best approach to keep your heart strong and healthy is to exercise regularly. It’s a natural, safe, and effective way to help improve your heart function! Physical therapy is an excellent method to add additional physical activity to your daily routine.
What to Expect in Physical Therapy
If you’re looking for a safe way to improve your heart health, physical therapy is a great option. At Priority Physical Therapy, our team of experts can play a leading role in preventing, reversing, and managing heart-related conditions. Our therapists can help you improve your heart health by advising you on lifestyle adjustments that include daily exercises, nutrition, and stress reduction strategies based on your individual needs.
Our team comprises movement experts who have the knowledge and training to evaluate and treat several kinds of acute and chronic pain conditions and abnormal physical function related to an injury, disability, disease, or unhealthy lifestyle.
We perform a thorough evaluation that includes your overall health status to create an exercise plan that ensures you’re getting as much physical activity as you can throughout the day. This will consist of treatments to address any injuries you may have and to help prevent other health issues.
We can guide you through proper exercises and specialized treatments to relieve your joint and muscle pain, increase your strength and flexibility, and improve your overall health by getting your blood flowing and your heart rate up. Participating in regular physical therapy appointments can help lower your cholesterol and blood pressure, significantly decreasing your chances of cardiac arrest in the future.
Our goal is to incorporate activities to improve your heart health so you can enjoy your life!
Request an Appointment Today
Caring for your heart is just as important as caring for any other part of your body. For American Heart Month, our team at Priority Physical Therapy can help you get back into shape safely and healthily! Contact us this month to learn how you can improve your heart health by incorporating more physical activity into your life!
Staff Spotlight
Kim Bunten, PT, DPT
Kim graduated from Saint Louis University in 1985 with her Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy and earned her Doctorate of Physical Therapy in 2012. Her clinical experiences focus primarily on outpatient orthopedics and women’s health. She is skilled in treatment of all regions of the body and is a Graston Technique provider. Kim’s passionate commitment to quality patient care eventually led to the creation of Priority Physical Therapy in 1998. Kim’s tenacity and attachment to her community gave rise to our current 5,500 square foot facility in the heart of Palmyra, MO. Kim holds herself and her carefully selected staff to the highest standard of excellence that can be achieved. The result is her continued reinvestment in our communities and families. Kim and her husband have three grown children and six grandchildren. In her free time, Kim loves to garden, travel, and spend time with family and friends.
Tips for A Heart-Healthy Valentine’s Day!
This year, don’t forget the most important Valentine of all: your heart! With February being the month of love and American Heart Month, here are a few tips to combine them into one fabulous celebration:
- Try a heart-healthy treat: Pomegranate seeds, good dark chocolate, and sweet strawberries are all delicious alternatives to candy hearts.
- Take a ballroom dance class with your sweetheart: Nothing’s more romantic than a sweeping waltz or sultry tango. But ballroom dancing is also a great cardio workout–making it the perfect date night for American Heart Month!
- Sink into a relaxing bubble bath: Stress contributes to cardiovascular disease, so this month, set aside time to rest and relax with a bubble bath. Dim the lights, burn a few candles, and settle down with your favorite romantic read.
Want more healthy heart tips this February–or any month of the year? Schedule an appointment with us today!
Success Spotlight
“Priority Physical Therapy is a great place to do rehab after an injury or surgery. The staff is so friendly and Lauren is very knowledgeable about your plan of recovery. The office is small so you get great personal attention and support as you go through your exercises. It’s definitely where I will go in the future if the need arises.” — E.T.
Share Your Success!
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