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Heart health can feel like a later-in-life priority, but the truth is, it guides your well-being throughout all your adult years. In your 60s and 70s and beyond, the body undergoes biological changes, and you may have to reevaluate your lifestyle to better care for this powerful organ.
This is part 3 of our Heart Health by the Decades series, with parts 1 and 2 offering heart health tips for your 20s and 30s and 40s and 50s, along with easy-to-understand information and actionable steps for prioritizing your cardiovascular wellness. This series is meant to empower you: it’s never too late to start making a meaningful impact on your heart. When you prioritize your heart health by focusing on lifestyle choices like a healthy diet, regular exercise, and smart supplementation to promote cellular wellness, you can be ready for life’s best moments as a grandparent, a traveler, a retiree, or a community member.
Read More: Explore More Heart Health Resources
How the Heart Changes in Your 60s, 70s, and Beyond
What’s Happening Inside Your Heart?
Our hearts naturally adapt to aging, and understanding how the heart changes with aging can help you work with your body rather than against it. Research on the aging heart1 shows that as we get older, the accumulated wear and tear of a lifetime starts to impact cardiovascular health. The heart muscle works harder but pumps less efficiently, vessel function is affected, and cellular-level signaling pathways slow down. These structural shifts are common parts of aging: think of it as the effects of a lifetime of service your heart has performed and continues to perform.
A study also found that exercise capacity tends to decline by about 10% per decade throughout adulthood, with that decline accelerating after age 70. This happens because your heart’s output during exertion and your muscles’ ability to use oxygen become less robust over time. Meanwhile, blood pressure patterns shift with age: your systolic pressure tends to gradually increase between ages 30 and 84, while diastolic pressure often starts to drop after 60, creating a wider gap between the two.
While these changes are common, the actions you take every day — especially moving your body regularly, nourishing yourself with heart-healthy foods, and managing stress, along with supporting your heart with smart supplementation — can make a meaningful difference in how your heart functions today and in the years ahead.
Why Heart Health, Cellular Energy, and Antioxidant Support Matter More Now
Lifestyle habits play a big role in heart health, but these changes actually start at the cellular level. The heart is one of the most energy-demanding organs in the body, so heart cells contain large numbers of mitochondria.2 You may know the mitochondria as the “powerhouse of the cell,” but they function more like the CEO of the cell, managing cellular function, maintenance, and wellness. Healthy mitochondria are essential for producing the cellular energy your heart needs to work efficiently.
Ubiquinol is the active antioxidant form of CoQ10 and helps support mitochondrial function and cellular energy production. As an antioxidant, ubiquinol helps protect cells from damage caused by unstable molecules called free radicals. This protection supports healthy blood vessels, circulation, and overall heart health.
Ubiquinol is a naturally occurring nutrient in the body and is especially important as we get older. Over time, free radicals can build up and cause “oxidative stress” — an imbalance of free radicals and antioxidants, which can damage cells. Antioxidants like ubiquinol help keep this process at bay, protecting cells and supporting energy production.3,4,5 While these processes happen at a microscopic level, healthy lifestyle habits and proper nutrition can help support them and protect your heart.
Learn More: Explore How Ubiquinol Supports Mitochondria
How Can I Support My Heart Health Through My 60s and 70s?
Your 60s and 70s are an opportunity to take advantage of all that life has to offer. Whether you’re playing with grandkids, exploring new places, discovering hobbies, or leaning into your community, your heart depends on your lifestyle choices so you can keep doing the activities you love. Below, we explore some simple tips to give your heart-healthy routine some support and a little extra love.
Keep Moving & Stretching
You might think of exercise as a drag, boring, inaccessible, or only for those “training” for something. But really, regular movement is key for longevity and independence — and there are more ways to move your body than you may think.
Find movements you actually enjoy and can consistently commit to, even for 20 minutes a day. Regular exercise can promote joint mobility, balance, muscle strength, and cardiovascular function. It can also lower blood pressure, raise HDL (“good”) cholesterol, and reduce LDL and triglycerides. If you’re not sure where to start, try out some of these activities:
- Brisk walking, swimming, riding e-bikes, dancing, and water aerobics
- Low-impact resistance training with light weights or bands to maintain muscle mass
- Stretching and mobility to support blood flow and joint health
- Balance training, like tai chi and yoga, can improve balance and help prevent falls and promote general health
Remember: you don’t have to be a marathoner or bodybuilder to commit to a workout routine. Start small and aim for 20 to 30 minutes of movement every day. Be sure to consult with your doctor before starting any new workout routine or exercise program.
Read More: Explore More Active Lifestyle Resource
Eat a Heart-Healthy Diet
What you eat plays a big role in how your heart functions, especially as biological changes impact the body in your 60s and 70s and beyond. Rather than jumping on fad diets, obsessing over weight loss, or cutting out entire food groups, focus on nutrient density for your future self.
As we age, our metabolism naturally slows, our appetite often decreases, and the body may not absorb nutrients as efficiently. That’s why focusing on a diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables, and lean protein is so important. As you think through your meals, aim for the following:
- Daily servings of fruits and vegetables
- Fiber, whole grains, and antioxidants
- Healthy fats from foods like olive oil, nuts, fatty fish, and avocados
- Low amounts of sodium
Making smart nutritional choices a habit takes thoughtfulness, but you don’t have to navigate this alone. Both the Mediterranean and Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diets are great places to start. These meal strategies are linked to better cardiovascular outcomes as they are both rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes, with some fish. The DASH diet is particularly focused on low sodium and is geared toward those with high blood pressure.
Both diets limit highly processed foods and added sugars, while encouraging balanced consumption of unsaturated fats, such as those found in olive oil. Some experts recommend combining the Mediterranean and DASH diets depending on an individual’s nutritional needs and health goals. Talk to your doctor about the best dietary plan for you, and be sure to check out our free Mediterranean Cookbook, which offers simple and delicious heart-healthy recipes you can cook today.
There’s no one-size-fits-all for nutrition, and you can tailor your eating habits to your preferences and nutritional needs, including by swapping ingredients for healthier choices. No matter how you build your plate, one with plant-based foods, fish and seafood, plant oils, and minimal added sugars and salt can support cardiovascular wellness from within.
Read More: See More Tips for Eating Well
Limit Alcohol & Quit Smoking
Habits like drinking and smoking are common, but they can have serious implications for your heart and overall health. If you are a smoker, quitting this harmful habit is the most important thing you can do to support your health. Also, excessive use of alcohol is linked to increased health risks, including cancer, liver disease, and cardiovascular health problems.
There is no “recommended” or “safe” amount of alcohol, and even moderate intake can significantly impact your well-being. Talk to your doctor about your alcohol consumption for individualized recommendations. If you smoke, ask your doctor about treatment options to help you quit. Every day without tobacco or alcohol is a win for your heart and whole-body health.
Read More: How to Build a Healthy, Refreshing Mocktail
Find Less Stress & More Sleep
Emotional well-being and heart health are deeply connected, especially as we get older. Constant stress can affect blood pressure, disrupt sleep patterns, and affect heart health. Lack of quality sleep can increase stress, creating a frustrating cycle where each problem feeds the other.
The good news is that improving your sleep and reducing stress often go hand-in-hand, and small changes can make a meaningful difference. Maintaining a regular sleep schedule, limiting evening caffeine and alcohol, and keeping your bedroom dark and quiet all support heart-healthy rest.
For stress reduction, consider incorporating practices that calm both the mind and body: regular moderate exercise, breathing exercises, meditation, breathwork techniques, social connection with loved ones, reduced social media time, or working with a therapist. These practical tools can support your heart’s health while enriching your daily life with more peace and rest.
Read More: Gain Tips for Managing Stress
Keep Up with Regular Doctor’s Visits
Staying proactive with your visits to healthcare professionals becomes increasingly valuable in your 60s and 70s, as routine monitoring helps you make informed decisions about your well-being. Regular checkups allow your doctor to track important heart health factors like blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and blood glucose. These valuable measurements provide insight into how your cardiovascular system is functioning and how you can improve your lifestyle habits.
Think of screenings and regular appointments as empowering rather than intimidating. Early detection of changes gives you the opportunity to make meaningful lifestyle adjustments for your future self. Don’t hesitate to bring questions to your appointments and speak up about any concerns you have. Being vocal about your health needs helps ensure you’re getting the personalized attention and answers you deserve.
Read More: Preparing for the Cardiologist? Here’s What to Know
Understanding Your Supplements and Medications, Including Statins
Understanding both your prescription medications and supplements on the store shelf is an essential part of managing your heart health, especially as treatment and wellness plans often become more complex as we age. Take time to fully read and understand each medication’s purpose, dosage, timing, and potential side effects — and never hesitate to ask your doctor for guidance or stop taking a medication without first talking to your doctor.
You might be taking a statin medication to help manage cholesterol levels in your 60s and 70s. While these medications are effective at lowering cholesterol, they’re also known to lower CoQ10 levels in the body.
A daily Kaneka Ubiquinol® supplement can be an ideal addition to your wellness routine. It’s bioidentical to the ubiquinol in the body, and taking Kaneka Ubiquinol® replenishes CoQ10 and ubiquinol levels that are lowered during statin use. It also helps maintain cellular energy generation and promotes healthy muscle function (including your heart) during statin use.6,7,8
Kaneka Ubiquinol® is backed by decades of rigorous testing and clinical research, and is a trusted ally for a number of health goals, including mitochondrial health, heart health, healthy aging, menopausal support, and more. As a whole-body wellness supplement with no known significant drug interactions or adverse effects, it is a safe addition to your heart health routine as you navigate your 60s, 70s, and beyond.
Read More: Other Medications & Drugs That Can Deplete Key Nutrients
Read More: Discover 5 Facts About This Cellular Energy Nutrient
Look Forward to What’s Ahead
This stage of life is full of opportunities, from exploring new hobbies to spending time with loved ones and living a life you enjoy. Why not focus some of that time and energy on your heart health and healthy aging journey? You might be surprised at how simple, daily habits — like regular physical activity, balanced diet, cutting out smoking, stress management, and adequate sleep — can significantly improve your well-being and support your heart health.
Living a life you love well into the future means making informed choices today. At age 60, 70, or older, you are capable of making meaningful change for yourself and your loved ones, and Kaneka Ubiquinol® is here to support you along the way.
