每年2月，我的好朋友和學員斯塔爾?瓊斯都會提醒我心臟健康的重要性。自從2010年接受了開心手術，她便一直熱心于心臟健康事業，也是健康生活承諾計劃的領導者。她在術后的心臟康復計劃包括“低于最大強度”的鍛煉，每組只有9分鐘，中間休息1分鐘。現在，她參加的是45分鐘的高強度SoulCycle課程。她給我帶來了真正的啟發。她的轉變讓我思考：我們如何使心臟健康保持最高水平？

有些事情是無法改變的，如你的年齡、性別和家族病史等。但許多因素是完全可控的。美國心臟協會（American Heart Association）的“珍愛女人心”（Go Red for Women）活動列出了能夠降低心臟病風險的7個可控因素。

膽固醇水平。注意油炸食品、飽和脂肪與油脂和高脂肪動物制品的攝入。抗氧化劑、歐米伽3脂肪酸（鱷梨！）和全谷類食品可以降低膽固醇。

血壓。平衡低鈉飲食，減少飲酒，經常鍛煉。

活動水平。保證每周五天每天至少運動30分鐘。

體重。知道自己的體重——計算體重指數，確定是否超重。如果需要減肥，美國心臟協會網站上還提供了一些有關減肥的建議。

吸煙的習慣。吸煙者患冠心病、血栓和各種其他疾病的風險更高，因此并不值得為此冒險。我相信，你可以成功戒煙。

血糖。盡量避免糖果和蘇打水，保持經常鍛煉的習慣。糖尿病人應該遵照醫生給出的控制糖尿病病情的建議。

飲食。提前計劃平衡飲食，記錄飲食日記，跟蹤飲食習慣。在兩餐之間可以補充健康的零食——我強烈支持在冰箱里存放一些切好的水果和素食。

看完上面的內容，你肯定有許多事情需要思考，而且我知道，要一次性解決所有問題，會讓你有些手足無措。我只是希望你在今天關注你自己。如果對這些話題感興趣，可以訪問美國心臟協會的網站——其中免費提供了大量高質量的信息，肯定會給你留下深刻印象。最重要的是，如果擔心自己的心臟健康可能出現了問題，請盡快咨詢醫生。（財富中文網）

本文作者史黛西?格里菲斯是SoulCycle的資深教練，她的新書《Two Turns From Zero》即將出版。史黛西把激勵型的教練風格，與對舞蹈的熱情、運動精神和令人興奮的音樂相結合，融入到她富有節奏的聲音當中。關注她的Twitter、Facebook和Instagram賬號。

譯者：劉進龍/汪皓

I am reminded of the importance of heart health every February by my dear friend and student Star Jones. She has been a heart health devotee and a leader in her commitment to healthy living ever since having open heart surgery in 2010. After her surgery, her cardio rehab program consisted of “sub-max” exercises, performed for only 9 minutes at a time with 1-minute breaks in between. Now, she powers through intense 45-minute SoulCycle classes. She’s a true inspiration. Her transformation has made me wonder: What can we all do to stay on top of our heart health?

Some things — your age, your gender and your family history — can’t be changed. But many factors are in your control. The American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women movement outlines 7 factors within your control that can reduce your risk for heart disease.

Your cholesterol levels. Watch your intake of fried foods, saturated fats and oils and high-fat animal products. Antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids (avocado!) and whole grains can help lower your cholesterol.

Your blood pressure. Eat a well-balanced, low-sodium diet, limit alcohol and exercise regularly.

Your activity levels. Make sure you are moving at least 30 minutes each day, five days a week.

Your weight. Know your numbers — calculate your BMI to determine if you’re overweight. If you do need to lose some weight, the American Heart Association website also offers advice on how to do so.

Your smoking habit. People who smoke cigarettes are at a higher risk of coronary heart disease, blood clots and all sorts of other problems that aren’t worth it. You can quit. I know you can.

Your blood sugar. Avoid candy and soda as much as possible, and maintain a regular exercise routine. If you’re diabetic, follow your doctor’s recommendations for keeping your diabetes in control.

Your diet. Plan balanced meals ahead of time and keep a food diary to track your habits. Between meals, snack healthy — I’m a big proponent of stocking the fridge with pre-cut fruits and veggies.

That’s a lot to think about, and I know it can get a little overwhelming when you try to tackle everything at once. I just ask you to touch base with yourself today. If you’re curious about any of these topics, visit the American Heart Association website — I think you’ll be blown away by the quality and quantity of information you can access for free. And most importantly, if you’re worried that your heart health may have gotten off track, consult your physician right away.

Stacey Griffith is a senior master instructor at SoulCycle and the author of the upcoming book Two Turns From Zero. Stacey’s motivational coaching style combines a passion for dance, athleticism and mind-blowing music—all set to the beat of her voice. Follow her on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.