Your 30s are the perfect decade to establish protective habits that will keep your heart healthy for decades ahead. The habits you build towards keeping your heart healthy will also help you keep your bones, brain, and metabolism healthy. By exercising regularly, maintaining a healthy weight, cutting alcohol and smoking, women can reduce heart events by more than 80% [1].
At Middlescence, we are all about action and helping you live your best lives. In this article, we highlight five heart-healthy habits that you can start today, in your 30s, to thrive as you age. We are also building an app to help you stick with these habits, so stay tuned for that.
1. Know Your Numbers
Before we start our journey, it’s important to get a baseline of your health right now. This will make you aware of your current health and what you can do to improve and maintain it. The tests we are talking about are usually covered by major insurance under an annual examination/visits. You can get your PCP to order it to make sure you don’t have to pay extra for it. Many employers also sponsor these tests, so check your benefits package if it’s available.
What numbers are we talking about?
- Blood pressure
- Cholesterol levels, including HDL, LDL, and triglycerides
- Fasting blood sugar and A1C (to screen for diabetes)
- BMI and waist circumference
When you receive your lab results, it would contain more details specific to you and your provider can also help you interpret the reports so don’t forget to discuss it with them. When you have the numbers, start setting personal goals for the coming months. You can repeat the tests annually unless your provider recommends otherwise.
Action Item: Discuss getting these tests done with your provider, check insurance coverage and employer offerings.
2. Move Mindfully
Moving mindfully has two components: exercising and daily movement. While exercise sessions are important, daily movements that reduce the negative impact of long hours of sitting are equally important. How you move depends on you. I am more regular in exercising and doing movements that I enjoy. You can always switch up any movement that you do as you get more regular. It’s more important to start what you enjoy. Gradually build workouts to fulfil the American Heart Association’s recommendation of 150 minutes of weekly activity [1].
Some suggestions to get started
- Aim for 10,000+ steps daily through regular activities
- Include strength training twice weekly to build lean muscle.
- Break up sitting every hour with 2-3 minutes of movement
- Take stairs, park farther away, or walk during phone calls
Action Item: Track your movement for one week using a phone or fitness tracker. After a week, brainstorm what you’d like to keep or switch up.
3. Mind the stress
The wonders of modern life bring stress to our doors. Women tend to respond differently to stress; there are physiological, psychological, and environmental reasons why women may have faster, larger, and longer stress responses. Managing stress is key to having a healthy heart. While stress management is a long game, there are small actions you can start taking to avoid triggers of stress and respond differently to them.
- Find mindful exercises (breathing techniques, journaling, body scans, art, etc.) that calm you down
- Journal your feelings, reflect on triggers of stress, and what helps you ground in stressful moments
- Lastly, don’t forget to seek professional help when you need it
Action Item: Start with a breathing exercise, schedule check-in every day on your calendar, practice for a wee,k and see how you feel.
4. Prioritize Sleep
Sleep is your body’s way to rejuvenate itself and support you in the best way during the day. While important, many adults do not get enough sleep due to various reasons. We will be writing a separate article on sleep and developing sleep hygiene. Here are some pointers to get started with:
- Aim for 7-9 hours of nightly sleep
- Avoid screens one hour before bedtime
- Limit caffeine after 12 PM
- Create a warm, inviting atmosphere in your bedroom
Action Item: Track your sleep for a week and see how many hours you sleep and what causes good and bad sleep
5. Build Heart-Smart Nutrition
Food is like medicine for our body. It provides us with all the nutrients and building blocks to help our bodies thrive.
Some heart-protective foods to incorporate into your diet [2]:
- Foods rich in omega-3s like walnuts, chia seeds, sardines, salmon, etc.
- Eat the rainbow – eat as many colors as possible of fruits and vegetables
- Whole grains instead of refined carbohydrates
- Limit processed foods, which often contain hidden sodium and trans fats
Action Item: Add one new heart-healthy food to your diet each week. Start with something simple, like a handful of walnuts as a snack or olive oil-based salad dressing.
Form habits that stick
Build these habits gradually using “habit stacking”—attach new behaviors to existing routines. For example, check your step count when you brush your teeth, or practice breathing exercises during your commute.
Track your progress monthly and celebrate small wins. Remember, consistency matters more than perfection. Even small improvements in these five areas create significant heart health benefits that compound over time.
Your heart health journey starts with one habit, one day, one choice. We are always here, cheering on you.
Stay heart-strong!
References: