If you want to live a healthier life, you’ve probably heard a lot of advice. Friends, family, social media – everyone has tips. It can feel overwhelming sifting through the amount of information that is out there, but turning to trusted sources is one way to streamline the noise.
Enter the American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential 8 for Women, a science-backed list of habits and measures that help you keep your heart and mind healthy. This includes checking in on your key health numbers: blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and weight. Then looking at your daily habits like what you eat, how active you are, how much sleep you are getting and whether you use tobacco or nicotine products.
Not sure where you stand? The American Heart Association has a free online tool called My Life Check. Simply answer a few questions about your health and habits and get a personalized heart health score in minutes. It turns a big topic like “heart health” into simple steps that support long-term health.
Once your score is in hand, you can pick one or two areas you’d like to work on, such as getting more sleep, taking daily walks or adding more color to your meals. It’s important to remember, small changes can add up to big differences over time.
For women, heart and brain health is especially important. Different life stages like pregnancy, motherhood and menopause can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke over time. That’s why it’s smart to check in with your health early and revisit often.
Healthy changes don’t need to be expensive or complicated. The best habits are the ones that fit your real life. Make heart health a priority today. A longer and healthier life is within reach.
Want to learn more? Take the My Life Check assessment at heart.org/MyLifeCheck.
For Additional Information
American Heart Association
heart.org
goredforwomen.org