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Stretching doesn't quite meet the American Heart Association's recommendation of at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity a week (30 minutes, 5 times a week).
But it could “have a practical implication in maintaining or even improving vascular function in people with a limited aerobic capacity or with a limited motor capacity,” says study author,
Emiliano Cè, associate professor of biomedical science for health at the University of Milan. FILTER YOUR COFFEE Improving heart health is one of coffee's nifty perks — but it turns out
that's true only if you brew it the right way. A study of more than a half million people in Norway recently showed that those who drank filtered coffee were 15 percent less likely to
die during the 20-year follow-up due to any cause, including heart disease. People who drank one to four cups a day of filtered coffee had the lowest risk of death from heart woes. The
findings held even after researchers accounted for participants’ weight, blood pressure and cholesterol — factors that could skew the results. Norwegians who regularly drank unfiltered joe
(that includes espresso drinks or brews from methods like a French press or moka pot) had a higher risk of dying from heart disease. Why the difference? The study authors believe unfiltered
coffee retains high levels of oils in coffee that can raise cholesterol levels. PRACTICE TAI CHI The heart-related benefits of tai chi, the ancient Chinese practice of slow, meditative
movement, are multifold. According to a study of more than 200 people with somewhat elevated blood pressure, those who practiced tai chi for three months significantly decreased it, compared
to those who didn't. In research involving obese patients with diabetes, tai chi lowered cholesterol, body mass index (BMI) — a measure of weight and height used to define obesity —
and C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of inflammation in the body that's linked to poorer heart health. These effects may be due to tai chi's effect on harmful stress, something a
recent review study from the University of Arizona saw among older adults with cardiovascular disease in particular. However, tai chi is just one way to find calm and boost your
heart's health. “It's not necessarily sitting in the lotus position, with your legs crossed, chanting,” Lewis says. “It can be baking bread, walking in nature, gardening, knitting
— anything that takes you into the quiet part of your brain and allows you to shut the world out for a little bit.”