17 Ways to Improve Your Heart's Health

Your heart: just the one word tells you how important it is. It's your heart. It's the heart of you, the heart of the matter, it's your ticker, it's that ever-reliable pump that works 24/7/365 to oh, you know, keep you alive. And usually, if all is well, you don't even need to think about it.

But you should keep your heart health top of mind, if you want it to keep on beating well into your golden years. While genetics has something to do with cardiovascular function, lifestyle choices, supplements and even how much you let stress roll off your back all have well-studied ramifications for your ticker.

Fortunately, we've got 17 ways you can strengthen your heart muscle—and unlike your genes, these all are within your control.

Heart-healthy dietary choices

These first two tips probably will come as no surprise, but they may be the most important. (You are what you eat, so be an avocado, not a fried chicken wing!)

1. Follow the Mediterranean diet

This might seem obvious, but a heart-healthy diet such as the Mediterranean diet is a recipe for a healthy heart. A nutritious, whole-foods diet that emphasizes plant-based foods, healthy fats and whole grains, really does strengthen your heart.

2. Avoid ultra-processed foods

Not on the menu: empty calories. Junk foods, sweets, and fried foods like potato chips and fries, on the other hand are, shall we say, not heart friendly.

3. Maintain a healthy body weight

By following tips 1 and 2 from this list, maintaining a healthy weight likely will be a bit easier. Body composition is important for your heart's health, including its strength, because carrying excess weight means your heart has to do more work. Now, this doesn't mean you should starve yourself or follow another weight loss craze to get to your goal! It's very important to nourish your body with the right foods, which fortunately are less calorically dense than the ones your heart wants you to avoid, anyway!

Heart health supplements

Like heart-healthy foods, dietary supplements can do a lot of great things for your health. And some supplements are laser-focused on the health and strength of your heart. Let's go over a few heart-strength supplement superstars:

4. Terminalia arjuna bark

It may not quite roll off the tongue for most of us, but it's an obvious choice for promoting the health of your heart muscle. Arjuna bark has proven benefits for cardiovascular endurance, support for healthy and efficient blood pumping (let's not lose sight of the fact that that is what the heart is all about) and, in so doing, reducing physical fatigue during exercise.

5. Coenzyme Q10

Better known as CoQ10, this antioxidant has been one of the leading heart health supplements for many years. And for good reason, since the well-absorbed ubiquinol form of CoQ10 is beneficial for the heart. Experts believe this may be because it supports your body's energy-producing mitochondria (the heart needs a whole lot of energy). Plus, its status as a potent antioxidant means it's a great defense against free radicals that could damage the heart and blood vessels.

6. Magnesium

Sometimes overlooked compared to some of its more "famous" mineral cousins (like calcium or iron), magnesium is another nutrient that is vital to energy-intensive processes, so of course it's essential for a healthy, strong heart. Magnesium is available in a variety of forms, from high-potency to more gentle time-release magnesium formulations.

7. Taurine

Does the word taurine make you think of "taurus," a strong, charging bull? That's no accident! This amino acid supports a healthy, strong heartbeat and is excellent for healthy blood vessels, too. (And because it has energy benefits, it's good for getting into beast mode at the gym as well!)

8. Aged black garlic

We're not talking just any old garlic here–although the garlic you chop up for pasta or other dishes is certainly healthy for you. Aged black garlic is exotic, yes, but its extract has proven heart benefits for already-healthy blood pressure, lipid levels, and overall cardiovascular health.

Preventive health

You don't need to live in a waiting room to keep your heart healthy, but if you skip it altogether, you could pay for it later. Fortunately, there are a few ways to be proactive about heart strengthening.

9. Work with your health care team

Take care of the basics. Regular check-ups and lab work, blood pressure checks, getting your heart and lungs listened to – these measures help ensure running your systems are running smoothly. Don't neglect your dental care, eye appointments or other routine appointments, either. You'd be surprised by the link between, say, gum health and cardiological health. With the heart being a vital organ, everything is connected.

10. Consider seeing a cardiologist

Your regular doctor's office, whether you see the physician, a physician assistant, or a nurse practitioner, can help keep tabs on your health and provide guidance and services for many situations. But you may want to enlist a specialist if you have a particular focus on heart strengthening and maintaining healthy blood vessels, whether that's because of family history or because your GP gave you a referral to a cardiology practice.

Self-care

If you come from the school of thought that downtime is wasted time, we've got news for you: taking time to restore and refresh is vital for the health of your vital organ! These two pillars of self-care are the most important to prioritize:

11. Manage stress

Stress stresses your heart. But healthy lifestyle hacks can help you manage your stress levels. This includes meditation and stress-busting yoga. If you're a people pleaser who can't say no to extra work assignments or social obligations, it's time to reframe these boundaries as being "healthy" rather than "selfish."

12. Optimize your sleep

And you thought sleep was just a time to relax and forget your cares! In fact, healthy restorative sleep is vital for your heart. And we don't mean falling asleep on the couch with a 50-inch flat screen lighting up the room. Healthy sleep is in your bed, in as quiet a room as you can manage, as dark a room as you can manage. And, setting aside time for a good 7-9 hours of good sleep daily. (New parents: we hear ya. Do the best you can.) Who knew something so chill could strengthen your heart?

Exercise tips for a strong heart

Let's not forget that the heart is a muscle, and like all of our muscles, we need exercise to keep it healthy and strong. Make sure your workout routine includes the following goals and types of exercise:

13. Consistency

Being consistent with exercise is a challenge for many of us. But it's well-known that physical activity strengthens the heart. Burning calories and the potential for weight loss make exercise a win-win for fostering a healthy heart. The good news here is that you don't need to live at the gym to benefit from staying active. You can make your heart healthier every day simply by walking. It doesn't sound like much, but even short walks and small amounts of exertion add up.

Remember: being sedentary is not good, so any activity is preferable to simply sitting on the couch. Of course, as shorter activities become easier, keep on challenging yourself. Daily walks at a nice pace help ensure a healthy heart (and also keep your brain perky, too!) If you can't find the time to walk daily, aim for longer walks three to four days a week.

14. Aerobic exercise

Elevating your heart rate with aerobic activity is absolutely critical to long-term heart strength. For exercise newbies, a walk indeed will get your heart into the zone. For those who are more conditioned, a cardiovascular workout on a bike or at the gym might just be the best thing to strengthen your heart. Think of 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity activity as a baseline, and if your body can tolerate it, go for more. Just make sure you don't overdo it or suddenly start an intense program.

15. Strength training

There's more to strength training than flexing in front of the mirror. Keeping your muscles strong has benefits large and small for your entire body, including your body composition, muscle mass, and cholesterol health.

16. High intensity interval (HIIT) exercise

No doubt about it, with their emphasis on both cardio and strength, high-intensity workouts are as much about heart strengthening as they are about glute and bicep strengthening. Of course, this is an area where you need to be pre-trained in order to avoid injuries, but if your body can handle the high-intensity exercise, these workouts can be an important key to heart health.

17. Prioritize daily movement

Exercise isn't just a gym session that involves blood, sweat and tears; it's getting activity throughout the day. Going to the mall? Park at the far end of the lot and walk to the entrance rather than driving around trying to find the closest parking spot. (By doing so, you'll skip the fight for the "best" spot, so you'll be lowering your stress level, too. Bonus!)

Got an appointment on the second or third floor? Wear good walking shoes and skip the elevator. Got a lawn full of leaves? Leave the blower in the garage and get out the old-fashioned rake and broom. It may not sound like much, but it's valuable physical activity. And being out in the fresh air has overall health benefits as well.

Keep the beat

You have lots of choices of how to strengthen your heart. From diet and lifestyle to high-quality dietary supplements all the way to several different varieties of heart-healthy exercise, we know you got this! Your whole body will thank you for strengthening your heart.

References

• Michos, ED. "Sitting Disease: How a Sedentary Lifestyle Affects Heart Health." Johns Hopkins Medicine. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/sitting-disease-how-a-sedentary-lifestyle-affects-heart-health
• "3 Kinds of Exercise That Boost Heart Health." Johns Hopkins Medicine.  https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/3-kinds-of-exercise-that-boost-heart-health
• "Gum disease and heart disease: The common thread." Harvard Health Publishing. February 2021. https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/gum-disease-and-heart-disease-the-common-thread
• "How to Sleep Better Infographic." Heart.org. https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-lifestyle/sleep/how-to-sleep-better-infographic
• "Life's Essential 8™" Heart.org. https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-lifestyle/lifes-essential-8
• "Physical Activity and Your Heart—Benefits." National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. March 2022. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/heart/physical-activity/benefits