Cardiovascular health is important throughout our lives.
Your heart pumps blood to all parts of your body, delivering oxygen and nutrients to every single cell through the arteries. Once the cells have received the oxygen, the blood is returned to the heart through the veins. The systematic, rhythmic relationship between your lungs and your heart is what refuels the blood with oxygen so that this cycle can continue endlessly. With every beat of your heart, blood is moving through the chambers of your heart and then being pumped through your body. It’s truly an amazing system! Quite simply, heart disease results when the heart has to beat faster than the normal healthy rate to perform its job. When the arteries are clogged blood needs to be pumped through them at a faster rate with greater force (“high blood pressure”).
Most people can quickly think of all the known risk factors for heart disease – smoking, high cholesterol, alcoholism, obesity, lack of physical activity, diabetes, high blood pressure, poor diets but did you know spinal misalignments can contribute as well? When the vertebrae in the spine are not moving properly they impinge both the nerves and the arteries. Once corrected with spinal adjustments, proper nerve and circulatory flow returns. Research has shown that chiropractic spinal adjustments can lower both blood pressure and heart rate, allowing your cardiovascular system to function the way it was designed to.
Although heart disease remains one of the leading causes of deaths worldwide, the great news is that lifestyle plays a huge factor in the development of it!
Make choices to keep your heart working properly by considering the following:
Stress Less: High stress levels cause blood pressure to rise and the heart rate to increase. Evaluate the stressors in your life and make changes!
Eat Well: Choose a healthy diet rich in fruits, vegetables, lean protein and whole grains. Avoid packaged and processed foods which contain extra fats, sugars and preservatives.
Quit Smoking & Moderate Alcohol Consumption: Just do it. Nothing health promoting about these lifestyle choices whatsoever!
Get Moving: Move your body everyday for at least 10 minutes. Helps relieve stress and supports every system in your body.
Get Adjusted! For a healthier body overall. It’s that simple.