Your body’s powerhouse: The heart

The heart is located behind the breastbone and in the middle of the rib cage and is the body’s most protected organ. This little powerhouse pumps 2,000 gallons of blood through the circulatory system daily, expanding and contracting more than 100,000 times. In the average human lifetime, it beats 2.5 billion times.

In fact, since the 1990s, scientists have understood that the heart has a cluster of 40,000 neurons that communicate with parts of the brain and may even be involved in pain, according to Pubmed. This so-called heart brain works with the brain in ways that are still being researched, but even now, it’s clear that the body’s organs are connected in an intricate system.

We aren’t generally aware of our heart’s efforts and struggles, but we can do some things to help it keep healthy, according to the American Heart Association.

Decide now your risk factors and what you can do about them. You can’t control your age or family history, but there are risk factors you can control:

• Quit smoking. Smoking is one of the most harmful things you can do to your heart.
• Control your blood pressure and take prescribed medications.
• Manage your weight. Gradual weight loss, followed by a stable, healthy weight, can help decrease your risks for cardiovascular complications.
• Eat better. Lots of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains combine to make weight loss easier and can help lower cholesterol.
• Get out and about. Brisk walks are great exercise. A combination of vigorous activity, resistance training, and flexibility exercise are better. It helps your heart, controls your weight, and makes you look and feel good.
• Don’t be jaded. You have heard this advice before. Act on it.