6 workday habits that keep your heart healthy

How to keep your heart healthy during the work week 

Eating right, exercising regularly, quitting smoking, limiting alcohol, and managing stress - many of us have heard this before. But while we want to avoid cardiovascular diseases such as Herzerkrankungen, heart attacks, and Schlaganfall, juggling a hectic work and home life often takes priority. 

Yet, only focusing on how to keep your heart healthy at the weekends isn't typically going to be enough.

Experts tell us that each week you need to: 

• Exercise at moderate intensity for Mindestens 150 Minuten pro Woche - or exercise at high intensity for at least 75 minutes a week. 

• Limit how much sugar, saturated fats, salt, and processed foods you eat every day. 

• Avoid or moderate unhealthy habits throughout the week - for example, 14 Einheiten Alkohol sind die empfohlene maximale Aufnahme pro Woche, so long as it's spread over three or more days with several alcohol-free days, and no binge drinking. 

The bottom line? When it comes to your health, you can't undo the damage caused by an unhealthy work week by being extra good on Saturday and Sunday. 

These 6 daily activities prove that the little things we do can add up to make a significant difference to our health over time. 

People who regularly climb the stairs are 39% less likely to die from heart disease - and 24% less likely to die from any cause - according to a 2024 study presented at ESC Preventive Cardiology congress.  

The study, which included around 480,500 people, established a significant link between stair climbing and heart health.

Dr Sophie Paddock, study author from the University of East Anglia and Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital Foundation Trust, says - whether you're at work, home or elsewhere - you should always take the stairs.

"Auch kurze Phasen körperlicher Aktivität haben positive gesundheitliche Wirkungen, und kurze Treppensteigen-Einheiten sollten ein erreichbares Ziel sein, das in den Alltag integriert werden kann," erklärt sie. "Basierend auf diesen Ergebnissen würden wir die Menschen ermutigen, das Treppensteigen in ihren Alltag einzubauen."

Those 75 or 150 minutes of vigorous or moderate exercise a week can feel like a lot of extra time to make room for. While it is important to plan in a bit of time for some more intense action a couple of times a week - such as running or playing football - research shows that being active little and often also has an important accumulative effect. 

Don't sit for too long 

Many of us have sedentary jobs, meaning we're sitting down for most of the day. We don't exactly know why this is so bad for us, but it might be that not using our muscles often enough affects our blood vessels. In turn, this may affect blood pressure and sugar regulation. 

Find 11 minutes to walk - and don't look at your phone 

In 2023, a large study found that 11 minutes of brisk walking could help prevent heart disease, cancer, and 1 in 10 deaths worldwide. Bear in mind this is more than an easy-going stroll - walking briskly means your breathing and heart rate become faster. You may feel a bit sweaty, but you should still be able to hold a conversation. 

Physiotherapeut und Professor für Sportmedizin Dr. Laimonas Šiupšinskas empfiehlt, die Vorteile von geeigneten Parks in Ihrer Nähe oder in der Nähe Ihres Arbeitsplatzes zu nutzen. Versuchen Sie jedoch, nicht auf Ihrem Telefon zu multitasken und den Blick nach vorne zu richten, um die vollständigen gesundheitlichen Vorteile zu spüren.

"Hör nicht auf zu gehen", sagt der Professor, "aber vergiss nicht, dass du mit dem Alter drei Mal pro Woche Kraftübungen machen musst, um deine Muskeln stark und fit zu halten."

When you grab a shop ready meal on your lunch break, you're less in control of what you're eating. Processed meals and snacks such as prepared wraps, crisps, and microwave options tend to contain a lot more fat, sugar and salt than home prepared options - and these can all affect your heart over time. 

We’re also less likely to make heart healthy food choices when we are already hungry, are feeling the stresses of the work day, or feel rushed. This is why preparing a packed lunch the night before - when you're full from dinner and in a more relaxed state - can help you to prioritise tasty ingredients that support heart health.

Zum Beispiel: 

• Foods naturally high in soluble fibre may help lower bad cholesterol - these include citrus fruits, sweet potato, aubergine, mango, beans, chickpeas and lentils. 

• Lebensmittel, die Omega-3-Fettsäuren enthalten, können Entzündungen bekämpfen - these include walnuts, oily fish, Chiasamen, flax seeds and soybeans. 

By following these food group rules, you can help protect your heart.

This starts with forgetting or reserving the saturated fats for special occasions - for example, butter, fatty or processed meats and processed meals like pies.

Instead focus on: 

• Fettreiche Fische - such as tuna and salmon. 

• Vollkornprodukte – such as brown rice and bulgur wheat. 

• Fettarme Milchprodukte – such as natural yoghurt and cottage cheese. 

• Mageres Eiweiß – such as chicken and lentils. 

• Ballaststoffreiche Lebensmittel – such as sweet potato and beans. 

It's difficult to introduce a bunch of new recipes to your week if you are short on time or have a family of fussy eaters to feed. For times when you need to rely on your favourite meals, here are some easy and sneaky recipe swaps: 

Dedicating some time each day to relaxation - in whatever form that means to you - isn't time wasted, according to heart health experts. In a time when Burnout - the word for work-related stress - is being called a major public health concern, making sure we calm our minds and nervous systems after a busy day has long-term benefits. 

If you're constantly in a state of stress - called long-term stress - this link becomes more direct. When you're stressed, you release adrenaline which raises your blood pressure. This is supposed to subside, but not in long-term stress.

One study found that people with Posttraumatische Belastungsstörung (PTBS) - a heightened form of long-term stress - were more likely to develop Bluthochdruck, Fettleibigkeit, and heart disease. However, in those people with PTSD, lifestyle factors such as a smoking, poor diet and increased alcohol intake were also present - increasing their likelihood of having long term health problems.

Es könnte also sein, dass all diese Faktoren zusammen die Chancen erhöhen.

What does your dental health have to do with your heart health? Researchers are finding that there's a strong connection between the two - and that people who have gum disease have a greater risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack, stroke, and other serious heart problems.

Experts aren't exactly sure how, but they have some theories: 

• In gum disease, the bacteria that infect the gums can also travel to blood vessels, causing swelling (inflammation) and damage. This makes you more vulnerable to blood clots, stroke, and Herzinfarkt. 

• Instead of bacteria causing the problem, it's the body's immune response, inflammation, that alone causes the blood vessel damage. 

Es ist sogar möglich, dass kein direkter Zusammenhang zwischen Zahnfleischerkrankungen und Herzkrankheiten besteht – stattdessen werden sie durch mögliche dritte Faktoren verbunden, die die Wahrscheinlichkeit für beide erhöhen. Experten glauben, dass Rauchen oder eine ungesunde Ernährung solche Faktoren sein könnten.

Regardless, Zahnseide is an effective way of removing plaque build-up and protecting your oral health. If it does hold long-term heart benefits, it’s an easy habit to slip into your bedtime routine.