Harvard Health Content API

Exercising outdoors in winter can offer different health benefits from summer. Cold weather may improve endurance, and the lower temperatures may help transform some white fat, including belly fat, into calorie-burning brown fat. Winter is also an opportunity to take up seasonal sports and activities like fat biking, cross-country skiing, and running or hiking new trails. For safety, exercisers should bundle up, protect their extremities, use sunscreen, and drink enough water.

According to a 2024 study, people who reported work-related stress were more likely to have unfavorable measures of cardiovascular health than those without that stress.

Both the Mediterranean diet and vegan diet can help stave off heart disease. But while the Mediterranean diet is slightly more expensive than the standard American diet, a vegan diet is 19% lower in cost, according to a 2024 analysis.

According to a 2024 study, people who engage in exercise (such as running or cycling) instead of less active behavior (such as sitting, standing, or slow walking) for just five minutes per day may slightly lower their blood pressure.

A gluten-free diet (which omits wheat, rye, and barley) may be low in fiber, a nutrient that’s important for cardiovascular health. People who avoid gluten should try to include gluten-free grains and seeds in their menus, such as amaranth, buckwheat, millet, sorghum, teff, and quinoa. Carrots, celery, kale, and kiwis contain mostly insoluble fiber, which helps you feel full and encourages regular bowel movements. Beans, nuts, seeds, and fruits (such as berries, apples, pears, and citrus fruits) are good sources of soluble fiber, which helps lower cholesterol and blood sugar.

Although doctors and patients rarely talk about it, cardiovascular disease and its treatment can affect sexual function. Atherosclerosis can affect arteries that supply blood to the genitals, and high blood pressure medication can cause sexual side effects. Certain medications used to treat common sexual issues (namely, erectile dysfunction drugs and some types of estrogen) may be unsafe for some people with heart disease.

A 2024 study found that eating more fruit during middle age may be linked with a lower risk of developing depression later in life.

A 2024 study found that excess abdominal fat is associated with widespread, chronic pain, especially in women.

In October 2024, the CDC lowered the age for healthy adults to receive a pneumococcal vaccine to 50 from 65. It also recommends a second dose of the 2024–25 COVID vaccine for people 65 and older and immunocompromised people six months after their last dose.

When New Year’s resolutions aren’t working, other strategies can help improve health habits. For example, people can set February goals instead of January goals, focusing on small changes in diet, exercise, or stress management. Another idea is including friends for added motivation and support, or working with an expert such as a personal trainer or dietitian. It might also help to follow eco-friendly habits that improve health, such as driving less and walking or cycling more and adopting a plant-based diet.