If you’re looking for affordable healthcare, preventative health may well be the place to begin. Some of the commonest diseases of our time, like heart disease, diabetes, and stroke, are less likely to affect individuals who follow a regular exercise routine. Worldwide, inactivity is the fourth major risk factor for mortality.
Given the positive health benefits of regular exercise and the risks of disease due to inactivity, now is a good time to put your new year resolutions into practice, and get moving. It may save your life! It will certainly reduce your healthcare expenses and you’ll find that it can be a lot of fun.
Heart attacks can happen to anyone
Every 43 seconds, someone in the U.S. suffers a heart attack. In one year, a total of 735,000 Americans suffer from heart attacks. Even though the stereotypical image of a heart attack patient is a middle aged male executive, plagued by stress, high cholesterol and insufficient exercise, the truth is that heart attacks can happen to anyone.
In the U.S. alone, 8 million or more women have suffered a heart attack or angina, and 42 million women suffer from cardiovascular disease in some form. Diet, overall fitness, and cholesterol levels are better predictors of heart disease than demographic stereotypes.
Risk factors for heart disease
Almost half or 49% of all Americans have at least one of the three major risk factors for heart disease: high blood pressure, high LDL cholesterol, and smoking. Besides diet and stress, lack of exercise is one of the most important factors contributing to risk of serious illness. The statistics are somewhat alarming, showing that as many as seven out of every ten adults don’t get regular exercise.
Among those adults who do exercise, less than 5% get as much as the 30 minutes of physical activity every day prescribed by the Department of Health and Human Services. And over 80% of adults don’t fulfill the minimum for aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities in these guidelines.
Affordable healthcare for the family
The message is clear. The first line of defense against disease is a healthy lifestyle, with a balanced diet, exercise, stress reduction and time for relaxation. Many adults who take up exercise after a long gap may actually find that it’s fun. Choosing the right sneakers, getting out into the woods, the park or to the beach for a brisk walk or run, joining a class, biking with friends or family, or even doing aerobics in the privacy of your living room will bring back a part of your life, even if you hadn’t noticed that it was missing.
In spite of following a healthy lifestyle, major illnesses and injuries do happen. A quality healthcare center will be able to provide the following services and more:
- Heart center
- Stroke
- Cancer treatment
- Joint replacement
- Knee surgery
- Hip replacement
- Urgent care
- Family medicine
Just to be prepared for all eventualities, it helps to identify in advance a facility that provides affordable healthcare for you and your family.
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