The One Practice This Cardiologist Includes In His Daily Heart-Health Routine 

Sticking to a routine for anything can be a challenge, but when it comes to heart health, cardiologist Alejandro Junger, M.D., says there's one practice he tries to prioritize every day.

Meditation is often associated with mental health, and less so with heart health, but according to Junger, "[it] is such a complete practice—especially for heart health." 

Several studies have looked at the effects of meditation on blood pressure1, finding evidence that mindfulness-based stress reduction may lead to significant reductions in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. 

Along with supporting healthy blood pressure levels, Junger says, "it calms down the spikes of cortisol and hormones that respond to stress." And since psychological stress has been linked to cardiovascular disease2, practicing meditation frequently may lower the risk of developing heart disease. 

Meditation is often thought of as sitting silently with your thoughts, but that's just one version of it. There are actually several ways to practice meditation, and one of the best ways to find out which one works for you is by reading about the 12 major meditation styles. Once you've read through all your options, you can download an app or sign up for a meditation class so a trained instructor can walk you through guided meditations.