If you have a hard time getting up in the morning, think about all the work your heart has to do. A couple of hours before you are up, the levels of stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol begin rising as if they were biological alarm clocks. These chemical signals boost blood pressure to rise after its dip while you were sleeping.

Then your heart starts pumping a little harder and your entire cardiovascular system adjusts as you stand up for the first time. In fact, that is what this fist size set of muscles does all day; your heart adjusts to meet your needs. The question you could be asking yourself is what do I need to do and when do I need to do it to protect my heart and help it work more efficiently.

The best time to schedule exercise, for example, is the time you can fit it into your schedule. Research says that we are more vulnerable to heart attacks and strokes in the morning but you are actually in worse shape if you skip exercising because you are afraid not to do anything vigorously before noon. The benefits of exercise far outweigh any risks you take in the morning. If you do have heart disease, however, talk to your doctor first before you plan your schedule.

Another factor for your schedule is to eat less but more frequently. The best advice I can give you is not to skip breakfast and not to eat a huge meal in the evening. The best approach to scheduling your eating is to space your calories out throughout your waking hours. A heavy meal raises your blood levels of triglycerides and that may increase your risk of clots and heart attacks.

In the meantime, use your leisure time activities to guard against strokes by including some moderate activity such as walking, or riding a bike, or working on your garden. Watching TV, sitting at your computer, or reading all the time for your leisure is not going to help you or your heart.

To your healthy aging success
Ruthan Brodsky

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Filed under: Mind and Body

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