As you welcome in 2026, experts are hoping you’ll also welcome in a new era when it comes to your heart health. And it can start with examining your habits.
Kristy Smorol, the communications director for the American Heart Association in central and western New York, said smoking is one of the top preventable risk factors for heart disease and stroke.
"Quitting smoking can make a huge difference,” Smorol said. “And that does mean all kinds of tobacco. That's smoking, that's chewing tobacco, that's vaping. They can all impact your health."
If you’ve fallen into some bad dietary habits during the holidays, Smorol said take baby steps to get back on the right track. She recommends adding more fruits and vegetables to meals, reducing your sodium intake, and cutting back on sugar-sweetened beverages.
"You're not going to turn around one day and suddenly have an entirely different diet simply because it's Jan. 1,” she said. “But you can say, 'I'm going to start adding a fruit or vegetable to every meal', and you can take those small steps and add them up to bigger steps."
Smorol said it’s also important to get off the couch and get moving, any way you can. It’s not necessary to have a new intense fitness routine. Just 10-15 minutes each day can make a difference.
"Cleaning your house could count as movement,” Smorol said. “When you're walking around the house, when you're vacuuming, when you're moving, whatever you're doing is moving. Walking the dog can be movement. Having a dance party with your kids can be movement."
And don’t give up. Even small decisions can add up and make a big difference for your heart health.
"Make your resolutions something that is achievable and something that you can actually point to a goal and say, 'I can do this,'" Smorol said.
