With the Paris Olympics and Paralympics 2024 around the corner, it’s the perfect time to focus on fitness. Around 40% of adults in the UK are physically inactive, which puts them at a 24% increased risk of developing coronary heart disease. These sporting events only come around every four years, so it is the perfect time to get inspired to improve your overall fitness and heart health. Here we share some tips and ideas to boost your physical activity and enjoy this summer’s sporting events.
Get motivated
Seeing the athletes compete in events such as running, cycling and swimming can serve as motivation to increase your physical activity levels. Start small and work towards meeting the World Health Organisation’s physical activity guidelines of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity per week.
Try a new sport
The Olympics and Paralympics are great for scoping out new hobbies and seeing sports you think look fun and exciting. If you see a new sport that you fancy trying, then find your local club and get involved. This will not only allow you to learn new skills, but it’ll help you to socialise with new people, which also benefits our mental health.
Sport and physical activity strengthen your heart muscle, along with your other muscles, and help to reduce your blood pressure. It’s also great for improving your blood sugar control and cholesterol levels.
An opportunity to socialise
Watching and celebrating the Olympics and Paralympics is a great reason to meet up with your friends and family. You could watch the events together, cheer on the athletes and have a heart healthy BBQ. Research shows that the strength of our social connections impacts our health, so don’t discount the importance of catching up with people.
Why not organise your own mini-Olympics in your garden or at the local park? Gather your friends and family, split yourself into teams and get active. You could carry out activities such as shot put with a tennis ball, relays and long jump
Sign up to receive our monthly Healthy Tip emails directly to your inbox
Discover ways to look after you heart
Traditional “eat less, move more” advice often fails people long-term, so it’s no wonder so many people are turning to medications to achieve weight-loss goals.
In this month’s Healthy Tip, Luca, Healthy Heart Coach at Heart Research UK, explains why strengthening your glutes is about much more than aesthetics, and how it can help protect your heart.
In this month’s Healthy Tip, Amie Leckie, Registered Nutritional Therapist and Health & Wellbeing Specialist at Heart Research UK, explores the world of supplements -highlighting which ones may be worth considering and which may simply lead to… an expensive wee!
Our 5 healthy eating tips are simple, back-to-basics stuff that doesn’t require any special supplements or equipment.
Explore our collection of heart healthy recipes
A zesty rainbow carrot and lentil spring salad that packs in the fibre.
A high-protein dip to make eating more veggies easier. Try our tangy Tzatziki recipe today!
A high-protein creamy edamame dip is a snack that supports heart health.
A flavourful roasted red pepper dip for spreading or snacking.