In Tick-Tock Shape

In Tick-Tock Shape

- Lisa Bendall

As much as 80 per cent of premature heart disease is preventable by making specific lifestyle choices. Some strategies, such as exercising and managing weight, are well known. But others may not have crossed your mind. “A small change in your everyday routine can potentially have a big impact in the long run,” says preventive cardiologist Dr. Beth Abramson, a spokesperson for the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada.

Get eight hours of sleep

“When you’re not rested, everything that happens in your life is a lot more stressful,” says Dr. Arya Sharma, founder of the Canadian Obesity Network and a professor of medicine at the University of Alberta. If we’re sleep deprived, our bodies also have more difficulty controlling blood pressure, inflammation and glucose levels. These factors can all have an impact on cardiovascular health.

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