Do You Have Time - For a Healthy Heart?

Do you have time for a healthy heart? Apparently, many of us don’t, according to a new survey conducted by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada (HFSC).

In a national online survey of 2,160 Canadian adults, the HSFC found that many Canadians cite barriers to choosing lifestyle options they know may prevent heart disease. Interestingly, the HSFC, in their report, judged each of these barriers as actual or perceived. The verdict in most cases was that perceived barriers are getting in the way of heart health.

What keeps people from being active:

• 46% cite long work days and lack of time as a reason for not getting active on a regular basis.
• 44% say they have no time for regular physical activity between work, family, and other obligations.
• 31% say the time they would like to spend being physically active, they instead spend commuting.

What keeps people from healthy eating:

• 41% say healthy meals take too long to prepare.
• 51% say too many fast-food outlets in their community lack healthy choices.
• 70% say restaurants don’t have enough fruit and vegetable options.

The most interesting finding, given these perceived barriers, is that 82 percent of survey respondents said they know that heart disease and stroke can be largely prevented by these simple measures: getting plenty of exercise and eating healthy foods. 

Do you have time? When you consider that one in three deaths in Canada is from heart disease and stroke, it would seem there’s never been a better time to give yourself time—for a healthy heart.