The month of February is always one of the most depressing months of winter, especially here in Michigan. The days are gloomy and cold, so pushing people to make healthy lifestyle changes this month isn’t always easy. I just looked out of my office window. It’s dreary and raining today. An ugly day. Why did I even bother getting dressed? I’m working from home and have no plans to go out. I could have stayed in my pajamas for the whole day. Oh, well. Live and learn. But I do want to live…
February is American Heart Month and heart disease continues
to be a leading cause of death in the United States. What can we do about it? Most
heart disease can be prevented with healthy lifestyle changes and education. I
know that sitting here at my computer all day isn’t all that healthy.
There is a difference between exercise and activity.
“Exercise” is a conscious effort that you make to get your heart rate going
faster in order to burn calories and build muscle. “Activity” is about how much
you move during each day. Do you sit at the computer working all day and in
front of the TV at night? Maybe you get up and go to the bathroom or get a
snack every couple of hours? That is a little activity, but not much. Most
people don’t move around a lot during their workday, but they may exercise on
the weekend or in the evening when they have more free time. Exercise AND a
decent activity level are both important for your heart. Sitting too much
without movement increases your risk for heart disease.
Everyone can make an effort to spread activity out during
the day even when working from home. Walk inside or outside your house every
hour. Go up and down stairs multiple times. Stand and do stretches at your
desk. Get moving even if it’s just a few minutes at a time. Put a timer on your
phone so you don’t forget. Get out that activity tracker that you got sick of
and start using it again. 10,000 steps a day. Remember? Work on reaching that
goal. Move around every hour during the workday. Chasing kids around and taking
care of their needs is a good activity in the evening and on the weekends.
Whew! That’s great because I sure feel like it is and want to positively
embrace that it is good for me.
What about motivation? Think about what would keep you
motivated right now. Are you still in-sync with your New Year’s Resolution to
lose some weight and get healthier? Are you planning a trip in the spring or summer?
Do you have something special to go to in the coming months like a wedding or
party where you’d like to look and feel your best after being cooped up for the
winter? Spring and summer are just around the corner.
Heart disease isn’t something we want. There are some risk
factors we can’t change, such as our sex, age or family history. Making changes
to our lives is never easy for anyone, but there are a few things we can do to
prevent our risk. Give some of these a try.
- Regular physical activity. Aim for 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic exercise.
- Strength training at least twice a week. Think about alternative ways on how you can gain strength at home if you can’t get to a gym.
- Eat healthy to help your heart, improve your blood pressure, cholesterol and reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes.
- Fruits, vegetables, beans, legumes
- Lean meats and fish
- Low-fat or fat-free dairy products
- Whole grains and other foods that are fiber rich
- Healthy fats
- Limit salt, sugar, processed carbohydrates, alcohol, saturated fats
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Don’t smoke
- Get a good night’s sleep
- Manage your stress
- Make appointments for your regular health screenings
- Take medications as directed by your health care provider
Think about February being American Heart Month and
Valentine’s Day being right in the middle of the month. A coincidence? I don’t
think so. “Hearts” are everywhere for the whole month. Whether it’s a sweet
message to a special someone or flowers for yourself (because you deserve them)
on Valentine’s Day, look at those “hearts” in a variety of ways. Get your red
clothes out and participate in National Wear Red Day on Friday, February 3 to
end heart disease and stroke in women. Promote the hearts and think about your
own. Take charge of your heart health. Note to self: Go to the gym after work.
https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/prevention.htm
https://www.goredforwomen.org/en/
