Hopefully you have some sweet memories to reflect on from this past Valentine’s Day—maybe you’re enjoying a few last bites of some delicious chocolate or appreciating the fragrance and brightness of a floral bouquet. A few years ago, I saw a fun Pinterest activity to show my family how much I love them during the first two weeks of the month—every day between February 1 and February 14, I write one unique thing I love about my kids on a little heart and give it to them each morning. It’s a little thing but every year, I get to celebrate them and recognize how special each of them are to me.
While I am finished writing out those hearts for the year, I realize how important it is to show my family members I care about them not only by telling and showing them but by taking care of myself as well. February is also American Heart Month—a month to focus on our cardiovascular health. Your cardiovascular health is impacted by many things—stress, physical activity, genetics, weight, diet, sleep to name a few. Like many, I juggle multiple priorities every day, but I choose to place the things that will help improve my heart health and my family’s heart health higher on the list. One of those things is regular physical activity—it helps control my stress and my weight, it helps me sleep better, and it just makes me feel happier. I write a lot about the benefits of physical activity here and in our Wellness at the Y email newsletter—and I will keep writing about it…why? Because you deserve to be the healthiest, mom, dad, daughter, son, partner, friend! Improving your heart health is a goal we are here to support and one that benefits everyone around you! Stop in and make an appointment with one of our Wellness Coaches to get you started on the right path—they would LOVE to help you!
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute has some amazing resources to help you learn more about improving your heart health. You can learn more here: nhlbi.nih.gov/education/american-heart-month.
Theresa Lovings, Association Director of Health & Wellness
