Heart Healthy
in Your 30s

You can live heart healthy and meet the demands of a busy life.

Staying Heart Healthy In Your 30s

In their 30s, many women get so involved in careers and/or family, they neglect to pay attention to their own health. Don't let that happen to you! Remember: You're young, but you're not a kid anymore. Life is a balancing act between your friends, family and yourself, but your health should be your top priority. Now is the time to build heart healthy habits. Studies have shown that if you can avoid the conditions that put you at risk for heart disease until you turn 50, chances are good that you may never develop heart disease. The payoff is well worth your investment.

Lifestyle Story from Michelle, age 43

When my children were little, I put my health on the back burner. I thought I didn't have the time to exercise or eat right. Now I realize that the best gift I could have given my kids would have been to take care of my health. A healthy mom is a better mom!

Heart Disease Prevention In Your 30s

The first step in preventing heart disease is to find out if anyone in your family has had heart disease or any of the associated risk factors. If they have, then your chances for developing heart disease go up. Once you're aware of your family history, make a point to talk with your healthcare professional and see what you can do to decrease your risk of developing heart disease.

Start now by getting a baseline of your current heart health.

Get a big picture look at your overall heart health by taking the My Life Check assessment.
What are the chances that you will develop heart disease in the next ten years? Get your estimated risk now with the Go Red Heart CheckUp.

Learn Your Family History

Use this tool to help figure out your heart disease risk.

Don't smoke

Smoking is not attractive, and it can put you at risk for heart disease, stroke and several other diseases. It is the most preventable cause of death in the U.S. If you smoke, stop. If you don't, don't start. It isn't worth it.

Quitting Smoking Tools

Use these tools to help you stop smoking and stay healthy.

Drink in Moderation

Before you drink, think about the effects it can have on your health. Alcohol can add calories to your diet and make you gain weight. And if you drink too much alcohol, your blood pressure can go up and in some cases cause heart failure and lead to a stroke. Keep in mind that for women, moderate drinking is no more than one drink per day.

One drink is defined as:
1-1/2 fluid ounces (fl oz) of 80-proof spirits (such as bourbon, scotch, vodka, gin, etc.)
1 fl oz of 100-proof spirits
4 fl oz of wine
12 fl oz of beer

Know your Numbers

Knowing the numbers that impact your heart is an important step toward healthy living. Get a quick overview of the numbers you need to know and your goals using the chart below. Be sure to talk to your doctor to see how your current numbers measure up.

Factor	Goal
Total Cholesterol	Less than 200 mg/dL
LDL ("Bad") Cholesterol	LDL cholesterol goals vary.
LDL ("Bad") Cholesterol	Less than 100 mg/dL 100 to 129 mg/dL 130 to 159 mg/dL 160 to 189 mg/dL 190 mg/dL and above	Optimal Near Optimal/Above Optimal Borderline High High Very High
HDL (“Good”) Cholesterol	50 mg/dL or higher
Triglycerides	<150 mg/dL
Blood Pressure	<120/80 mmHg
Fasting Glucose	<100 mg/dL
Body Mass Index (BMI)	<25 Kg/m²
Waist Circumference	<35 inches
Exercise	Minimum of 30 minutes most days, if not all days of the week

* "<" means "less than"

02_prevention

Eat a Heart Healthy Diet In Your 30s

In your 30s, you are probably very busy, and balancing your life and your health is a huge challenge. This is one challenge you need to face head on — your life, and your family, depend on it. Whether it's your spouse, kids or colleagues, people are depending on you and need you to be healthy. Set an example by making food and exercise choices that will lead to a long, healthy life.

Nutrition Guidelines

Follow these guidelines to keep your diet heart-healthy:
Choose foods low in saturated and trans fats, cholesterol, sodium, and added sugars.
Eat plenty and a variety of fruits or vegetables (aim for at least 2 ½ Cups of each, every day)
Choose lean meat, fish* or skinless chicken. Oily Fish is a recommended choice because it is high in Omega 3 fatty acids (salmon, trout, herring). Aim to eat a 3.5 ounce serving of fish twice a week.
Choose fiber-rich, whole grains (at least 3 1oz. servings a day)
Stay away from added sugars (No more than 36 oz.(450 calories) of sugar-sweetened beverages a week). The calories from sweetened drinks add up fast!
Cut down on the amount of sodium you eat (No more than 1500 mg a day).
Make sure you are getting enough calcium. It's good for your bones and cuts your risk for developing osteoporosis later in life.

If You Are Pregnant

Note: If you are pregnant, breastfeeding or thinking about having a baby, foods rich in folate are important. Try eating more green leafy veggies, dried beans and peas, and other types of veggies and fruits. Make a point to talk to your healthcare professional about your individual dietary needs.

* Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are advising women who may become pregnant, pregnant women, nursing mothers, and young children to avoid some types of fish that contain high levels of mercury. Do not eat: Shark, Swordfish, King Mackerel, Tilefish (golden bass or golden snapper). See FDA's Website for more information about mercury in fish. Fish caught locally may contain environmental contaminants. Check local advisories about the safety of fish caught by family and friends in your local lakes, rivers, and coastal areas.

More Heart Healthy Diet Tools

Use these nutrition tools to help guide your diet choices.

Get nutrition tips for you and your kids.

To learn more about vitamins and diet recommendations from the American Heart Association, visit AHA's nutrition center.

Be Active In Your 30s

Exercise is great for managing your weight, boosting your energy level, and managing stress. It's also excellent for your heart. AHA experts recommend 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes (1 hour and 15 minutes) of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity each week.

If you don't already regularly exercise, now is a great time to start. Keep in mind that you don't have to join a boot camp class or run a half-marathon to be healthy (although those are great goals!). All it takes is about 30 minutes of exercise a day on most days – jogging with a friend, doing a yoga DVD at home, or even a game of tag with the kids can boost your activity level.

Other easy ways to squeeze exercise into your busy week: Schedule time for exercise in your online calendar or daily planner, or pick something that you enjoy doing and invite a friend to come along.

Fitness story from Maria, age 32

In my 20s I wish I would have known how important it is to exercise to maintain my heart health. During my 20s the only constant exercise that I did was dancing and it was because of my culture and pleasure but not because of my heart health. Now I eat more fruits and vegetables and exercise knowing that it will maintain my heart health.

Watch Your Weight In Your 30s

The best way to manage your weight in your 30s is old-fashioned diet and exercise. With your busy schedule, it's important to plan meals ahead of time and keep healthy snacks in your desk, car or bag so you have them when you need them.

More Tips for Watching Your Weight

Use these tools for managing your weight in your 30s.

See these grocery shopping tips.

Weight Management Story from Andrea, age 40

I exercise regularly during the week and I try and push myself a little more each time by running a little longer or faster. I also try to make better, healthier food choices and I make sure to laugh a lot. My heart responds well to laughter!

Weight Management Story from Rolanda, age 42

In my early and mid 30s I started gaining weight (probably as a result of my carefree 20s lifestyle). I also ate out A LOT and didn't always select the best choices on the menu. Sweets were my weakness and they controlled my appetite quite often. I was also not as physically active as I should have been.
I did get some physical activity in occasionally, but it was sporadic and I was stressed out A LOT!

Talk to Your Doctor

For most of us, check-ups for the kids or with our ObGyns are no-brainers. Why should your heart health be any different? Make time for annual check-ups with your healthcare professional. Ask questions about your heart health and check your numbers--blood pressure, cholesterol, heart rate, blood glucose, and weight. Answering these questions and having these numbers will help you gauge your health and will also provide a baseline for future tests.

Heart Disease Checkups in Your 30s

Here are the tests you should ask your doctor to perform.

Weight and BMI
Waist Circumference
Blood Pressure (every office visit or at least every 2 years - if blood pressure is less than 120/80 mmHg – more often if you have a higher risk)
Cholesterol ("fasting lipoprotein profile" to measure total, HDL and LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides)
Screen every 5 years for normal risk people; more often if any of the following apply to you:
Total cholesterol above 200 mg/dL
Your HDL (good) cholesterol is less than 50 mg/dL
LDL (bad) cholesterol above 100 mg/dL
Triglycerides 150 mg/dL or higher
You have other risk factors for heart disease and stroke

Other risk factors for heart disease and stroke:

Heart Exam
This includes checking your heart rate, pulse, breath sounds, heart sounds skin color, and checking for swelling in arms or legs.
Fasting Blood Glucose (need to get a baseline by the time you're 45, and may be required more often if you are pregnant, overweight, diabetic or at risk for becoming diabetic)

* Be sure to talk with your doctor about other important health screenings and immunizations that you should have in your 30s.

Questions to Ask Your Doctor

Doctor offices can be busy, intimidating places. But it's your responsibility to take control of your health by being informed. Use these questions to start the conversation with your healthcare professional.

Doctor Visit Story from Patricia, age 53

When I was 30, I wish I had known more about heart disease and its symptoms. Years ago it was known as a man's disease and therefore, most of the literature was for men. I remember being diagnosed as hypoglycemic and to this day, I believe the nausea and fainting was due to the early stages and symptoms of my heart condition. However, due to the lack of knowledge on my part, and resistance of doctors to think about heart disease in relation to women, my heart was not factored into the equation for treatment.

Medication Story from Tisha, age 32

I make sure I take my medication as recommended. In addition, I stay as active as I can. Which includes brisk walking versus driving and even dancing for 30 minutes at the end of the day, just to get some sort of a workout.

Women are Speaking Up

about their No. 1 killer - heart disease.

There are so many simple ways you can make a difference. Share your story, donate or wear your free red dress pin.

Find Go Red For Women on:

Go Red Heart CheckUp

Take the Go Red Heart CheckUp today to learn your risk. It’s free, only takes a few minutes and could save your life.

Login

Forgot your password?

Heart Healthy in Your 30s