It’s the month of LOVE! Ooh lah, lah, fancy schmacy, right? Partially… February is also American Heart Month. Do you think about your heart health often? I can tell you that even though I do have heart disease in my family (both my deceased half-brother and father had heart disease), it’s not something that crosses my mind all of the time.
Check-out these pictures from a free community class FIT4MOM Front Range offered last year:
That’s me – not pregnant!
Maybe these statistics will help us remember how important our heart health is:
- It’s the #1 killer of both men and women in the United States
- 1 in 4 deaths is caused by heart disease
- It costs the U.S. over $300 billion each year in health care services, medications, and loss of productivity
- Men are more than twice as likely to die from heart disease than women
- Heart disease is most prevalent in the south and least in the west
- Heart disease is preventable!
So, how can we prevent it?
- EXERCISE, of course! This my absolute favorite! We all know we should exercise, so get out there and find a group to keep yourself accountable!
- If you’re in Colorado, contact FIT4MOM Front Range for classes with strollers, boot camps for moms, prenatal classes, and running programs!
- If you live elsewhere, find your nearest location here.
- Join a local gym,
- Find neighbors or friends who have a common goal,
- Bond with your spouse over some gym or running training,
- Find fun, active activities to do with your kids like spending time at a jump house business, going to a trampoline park, rollerskating, ice skating, skiing, etc.
- Join a local running group, or
- Find some DVDs that motivate you to get off the couch for at least an hour a day
- EATING HEALTHY! Clean-eating is my go-to. Let’s get back to eating what the Earth gave us and cut out the processed foods. Some of my favorite online resources include:
- Fit Foodie Mom (this website!)
- The Gracious Pantry,
- Clean Eating Mag,
- He and She Eat Clean,
- Cooking Light, and
- 100 Days of Real Food
- Don’t smoke
- Limit alcohol
- Maintain a healthy blood pressure and cholesterol (monitor them and maintain them as prescribed by doctor’s orders)
Resources:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
American Recall Center
Fit Foodie Mom 
Looks like a fun event! I’d be there if I lived in Colorado. Thanks for the good common sense ways to reduce heart disease!