As you get older your risk for heart problems rises, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do anything to protect yourself. While there are no guarantees, even for people who do everything right, you can work on keeping your heart as healthy as possible by eating right, getting exercise, and taking good care of yourself. Working with your doctor also helps you reduce the risk of heart issues, since you can catch small problems before they become bigger issues.

You May Need to Make Some Dietary Changes

Dietary changes can be a big way to protect the health of your heart. That includes moving to a more plant-based diet that doesn’t have as much red meat or processed food in it. You’ll also want to consider cutting back on added sugars, fatty foods, fried foods, and alcohol. That doesn’t mean you can’t ever have any of these things in most cases, though. You just need to make them a much smaller part of your diet instead of eating them more frequently.

As you get older your heart and other organs can’t process these kinds of things as easily as they used to, so having them can do more damage and be harder to recover from. As you move into your later years, switching your focus over toward taking good care of your heart is the best way to make sure you’re doing what you need for longevity and a good quality of life. There’s no reason to settle for less, just because you’re aging.

Exercise Can Look Different When You’re Older

Medical professionals like Ian Weisberg still encourage exercise for older people, but they also acknowledge that the types of exercise you do, and their intensity may be different from what you did when you were younger. Older bodies can’t always handle the hard workouts and heavy lifting that were easier to do in youth, but yous should still safely do as much as you can for as long as you can, as long as your doctor doesn’t recommend that you cut back.

Make a Care Plan With Your Doctor

Dr. Ian Weisberg and other professionals in the medical community work with patients every day on care plans that can keep them healthier and safer, and that includes protecting their hearts. If you don’t have a doctor you work with regularly, now is the time to find one and start taking your heart health seriously. As you age, that becomes even more important to do, so don’t put it off. It could literally save your life.

Prioritize Good Overall Health for Longevity

By prioritizing good overall health, you’ll be adding to the protection for your heart. That can help you live longer and enjoy those years more fully, along with giving you more peace of mind and happiness throughout the aging process. There’s no need to stop being active and healthy as you get older. You may just need to adjust to what that looks like for you.