How Healthy is Your Heart, Really? 5 Ways to Tell at Home

Speaker 1: Did you know, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. And it affects one in four Americans. It doesn't discriminate and targets people of all backgrounds. So let's look at some easy ways. You can track your heart health at home without any of the fancy equipment. Speaker 1: So let's start with that number. You're probably already familiar with heart rate, knowing how to read your heart rate is important, not just for [00:00:30] your own health, but you never know when you'll need to read someone else's factors that can affect your heart rate are your age, stress, caffeine, some medication and underlying health conditions. When you're not exercising your body defaults to its resting heart rate. A healthy resting heart rate for adults is 60 to a hundred beats per minute. But for athletes, that range may be below 60 beats per minute. This is a good stepping point to figure out what your target heart rate should be when you're [00:01:00] exercising to do so. Subtract your age from two 20 to get your maximum heart rate. Once you have that, you can determine what your target heart rate is based off of the American heart association chart. Speaker 1: Something to keep in mind is that if you notice you consistently have a low or high heart rate, it's important to see a doctor. It may indicate a more serious underlying health problem. An easy way to check your heart rate is by testing three different points of your body. The [00:01:30] first point is your radial artery. This is the most common artery used to measure your pulse because it provides the arm in hand with oxygenated blood from the lungs to test for the radial pulse place, your pointer and middle fingers on the inside of your opposite wrist. Just below the thumb. Once you feel your pulse count the number beats you feel in 15 seconds, then multiply this number by four to get your heart rate. Next, let's check the pulse in the carotid [00:02:00] artery. This one is located in your neck. This artery supplies, oxygenated blood to the head region. Speaker 1: If it is blocked by plaque, it decreases blood flow to the brain and can lead to a stroke. Carotid artery disease is responsible for about half of all stroke cases in the country to test place your pointer and middle fingers on the side of your windpipe. Just be below of a jaw bone, count the beats for 15 seconds and multiply by four to get your heart rate. [00:02:30] Lastly, let's test your pedal poles. This one is located on the top of your foot to test your pedal pulses, place your index and middle fingers above the highest point of the bone that runs along the top of your foot. Once you locate your, your pulse, count the beats for 15 seconds. Again, multiply that number by four to get your heart rate devices like digital fitness trackers and smart watches are great tools to track your heart rate as well. Speaker 1: But a heart rate monitor that uses a chest drop will [00:03:00] give a more accurate reading. Another simple way to check your heart health is with stairs. Doctors say most people should be able to climb four flights in under a minute, but if it takes you longer than a minute and a half, it may be time to improve your cardiac health and see a doctor. If you'd like a deeper and not, you can reach out to an exercise physiologist or cardiologist who can run additional tests. Symptoms of heart disease include dizziness, chest pain, fainting, spells [00:03:30] lightheadedness, and a slow pulse. The numbers of people affected by heart disease continues to increase every year. But the good news is that heart disease is preventable. If you adopt a healthy lifestyle early doing at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity a week will provide excellent health benefits by staying active, eating a balanced diet and regularly checking your vitals. You can keep your heart working at its very best.