February is National Heart Month



February is National Heart Month

Many people have hearts on their minds in the month of February. This not only holds true for the holiday built to celebrate love, Valentine’s Day, but also marks American Heart Month. The American Heart Association designates February as awareness month to remind people to focus on maintaining healthy hearts and to help raise awareness to heart disease.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. About 90 percent of middle-aged people and more than 74 percent of young adults have one or more risk factors for heart disease, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or overweight. National Heart Month is a fantastic time to find out more about the things we can do to become more heart healthy.

Follow these heart healthy lifestyle tips and your heart will be healthier for it:
• Move more throughout the day. Aim for at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week.
• Eat a nutritious diet
• Quit smoking
• Get at least 7-8 hours of sleep each night
• Reduce/manage stress
• Keep a log of blood pressure, weight goals, blood sugars, and foods
• Invite friends and family

Remember that small steps will get you where you want to go.

Source:
American Heart Month │NHLBI, NIH. (2021). Retrieved 13 January 2021, from https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/education-and-awareness/heart-month My Blood Pressure Log
https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/docs/My_Blood_Pressure_Log.pdf

Print Friendly, PDF & Email



close