Angela Bassett Wants You to Go for a Walk, Because Your Health Is Everything
There's no denying that the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we think about and practice self care, but that hasn't stopped Angela Bassett from highlighting how important it is to consider and care for your overall health and wellness. "Especially this year, with what's going on with the pandemic, there are underlying conditions that we face in our community with heart disease, diabetes, and cardiovascular health, and it really is a wakeup call to take care of ourselves," the powerhouse actress tells Woman's Day.
As an ambassador for the American Diabetes Association, Bassett is encouraging people to learn more about type 2 diabetes through a partnership between Know Diabetes By Heart and the American Heart Association. "I was moved to lend my voice and my platform to this effort because my mother had type 2 diabetes, and I lost her five years ago to congestive heart failure," Bassett says. "So it really has hit close to home. I want to encourage people to talk with their health care provider about managing the risks, because you can say no to those risks. It's not a done deal, it's not a death sentence, you can say no to those risks." People with diabetes are two times as likely to have a heart attack or stroke than people without diabetes, according to the American Heart Association, which is why Bassett says it's so important to talk to your doctor.
But it's not just bigger health concerns like heart disease and stroke that Bassett is thinking about during this unparalleled public health crisis. She says she focuses on the little things that she can do each day to improve her health, too. Working out has been a lifesaver during this time to keep her feeling good. "There's so much energy and stress built up from very long work weeks on the set of 9-1-1," she says. "I just have to get it out of my body."
And there's no reason to get too fussy over your workout either, according to Bassett. "You can just stroll outside," she says. "It's so easy to do, just throw your sneakers on and walk outside. You're breathing, you're moving, it's fantastic." To get a little more "bang for my buck," she likes to mix in a bit of high intensity interval training, such as speed walking for 30 seconds and then strolling for a minute, and repeating that for 20 minutes. "You can build upon that simple idea, get your heart rate up, and get you breathing deeply," she says. "And at the end of those 20 minutes over 24 hours, you never say 'Gosh, I wish I wouldn't have done that.'"
The actress is also a proponent of fueling her body with healthy foods, including fruits and vegetables, though she'll occasionally indulge in something a bit more luxurious. "You know I've done the red wine and dark chocolate thing the first six weeks of quarantine," she laughs. "Everything in moderation."
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