Improve Heart Health

Proof required

Submit your M1 baseline: (1) resting heart rate — three consecutive morning readings and their 3-day average; (2) blood pressure — two readings and their average, with measurement source noted (pharmacy kiosk or home monitor). These are your cardiovascular baseline values for M3 comparison.

What gets checked

• Resting heart rate is the 3-day morning average, not a single reading — single readings vary by 10–20 bpm; the 3-day average is the minimum for a reliable baseline
• Blood pressure is taken after sitting quietly for 5 minutes — activity, stress, or standing immediately before taking a reading inflates systolic values by 10–20 mmHg and makes M3 comparisons misleading
• Both metrics measured in the same week — measuring them weeks apart and then comparing with M3 as though they are from a single baseline session misrepresents the starting point

Common mistakes

• Measuring resting heart rate after getting up, making coffee, or checking a phone — the baseline must be taken before any physical or cognitive stimulation; even moderate alertness from checking a phone raises heart rate by 5–10 bpm
• Using a single blood pressure reading rather than the average of two — blood pressure varies within a session; the average of two readings 5 minutes apart is the standard clinical protocol for a valid baseline
• Measuring blood pressure on the left and right arm and averaging between arms — arms can differ by up to 10 mmHg; always use the same arm at M1 and M3

Resources

What a verifier looks for

• Both metrics must be present in M1. Resting heart rate without blood pressure (or vice versa) is an incomplete cardiovascular baseline — ask for both before accepting M1
• Resting heart rate should show three individual morning readings, not just the average. If only an average is given, ask for the three daily values
• Blood pressure should note the measurement source (pharmacy kiosk or home monitor) and the arm used. Without this, there is no way to verify that M1 and M3 used the same measurement conditions

Proof required

Submit (1) weekly activity log for all 8 weeks showing activity type, individual session durations, and weekly total minutes of aerobic activity; (2) 3-day food diary from Weeks 1, 3, 5, and 7 with notes on specific sodium and saturated fat changes made; (3) a brief note at each 4-week point on what specifically changed in the daily routine.

What gets checked

• Weekly activity log shows at least 3 sessions per week of 20+ minutes continuous aerobic activity — short 5-minute bursts accumulate steps but do not provide the sustained cardiovascular stimulus needed for resting heart rate reduction; continuity of 20+ minutes is required
• The food diary notes specific changes — naming the specific high-sodium or high-saturated-fat food replaced (e.g. 'replaced salted crisps with unsalted nuts', 'switched from full-fat to semi-skimmed milk') rather than a general 'ate healthier'
• Both activity and dietary interventions are maintained across all 8 weeks — cardiovascular adaptations to aerobic training take 6–8 weeks of consistent stimulus; stopping after 4 weeks halts the adaptation

Common mistakes

• Counting low-intensity walking (strolling) as aerobic activity — moderate intensity requires raising the heart rate to approximately 50–70% of maximum (the 'talk test': conversation still possible but singing is not); slow walking does not meet this threshold
• Reducing only one of the two dietary targets and ignoring the other — sodium reduction has the largest single-lifestyle effect on blood pressure; saturated fat reduction affects LDL cholesterol and secondary cardiovascular risk; both should be addressed
• Recording only the weeks when activity targets were met and omitting weeks when they were not — the 8-week log must include all weeks, including underperforming ones

Resources

What a verifier looks for

• The activity log must show individual session durations, not just weekly totals. If the log shows '150 min' per week without session breakdown, ask for individual session durations to confirm continuous sessions of 20+ minutes
• The food diary should name specific sodium or saturated fat sources being reduced. If the diary shows only general improvements without naming specific changes, ask what specifically changed
• Both activity and dietary change should be present across all 8 weeks. If only one intervention is maintained, the cardiovascular benefit will be partial

Proof required

Submit (1) M3 measurements — resting heart rate (three consecutive morning readings and 3-day average) and blood pressure (two readings and average, same arm and measurement source as M1); (2) a side-by-side comparison table showing M1 and M3 for both metrics; (3) an attestation from a named person who observed the lifestyle changes across the 8 weeks.

What gets checked

• Resting heart rate M3 uses the same morning-before-getting-up protocol as M1 — any change in timing or conditions (e.g. measuring after getting up at M3 but before at M1) creates an artefactual comparison
• Blood pressure M3 uses the same arm, same measurement source, and same seated rested technique as M1
• The comparison table shows M1 and M3 for both metrics — a partial comparison (e.g. only blood pressure) does not constitute the full cardiovascular health outcome

Common mistakes

• Measuring M3 blood pressure after exercise or immediately after a stressful situation — acute stress and exercise transiently elevate blood pressure by 10–30 mmHg; the measurement must be taken under the same rested conditions as M1
• Comparing M3 to a single M1 reading rather than the established M1 average — the M3 3-day average should be compared to the M1 3-day average for resting heart rate; the M3 two-reading average should be compared to the M1 two-reading average for blood pressure
• Providing an attestation from someone who did not observe the 8-week programme — the attesting person should have been present across the programme period, not just at the end

Resources

What a verifier looks for

• Both M3 metrics must use the same protocol as M1. If the submission notes a different arm was used for blood pressure, ask why and whether the readings are comparable with M1
• The comparison table must show M1 and M3 for both resting heart rate and blood pressure. If only one metric is compared, ask for the full table
• The attestation should describe observed behavioural change — 'they walked for 30 minutes every lunch break for the past 2 months' is observation; 'they said they were exercising more' is not