February is National Heart Month
By Michelle Clapham, RN, MSN, APRN (retir.)
Originally designated in February 1964 by President Lyndon B. Johnson3, National Heart Month provides the opportunity for people to focus on ways to improve their heart health. According to the Centers for Disease Control, in the United States heart disease is the leading cause of death in men and women1. The American Heart Association reports a person dies every 33 seconds from heart and cardiovascular disease2.
The goals of National Heart Month are to decrease rates of heart disease, promote overall heart health and wellbeing and to raise awareness about heart and vascular diseases.3,
Ways to improve heart health means adopting healthy lifestyle choices3. Healthy lifestyle choices include regular physical activity, healthy eating habits and educating yourself about the risk factors for heart disease.3,4 Are you looking to bring more physical activity into your life? The Akron YMCA (www.akronymca.org) provides many options to get involved in regular exercise as a way to improve your health and reduce your risk of heart disease.
One popular option is the Akron YMCA’s group exercise classes. At the Wadsworth YMCA, Burga Shepard has been a beloved fitness instructor for the past 12 years and is the instructor for the popular “Seniorobics” class.
Burga enjoys working with her group members to build endurance, strength, flexibility and improve their balance. Burga recommends at least a total of 150 minutes of moderate intensity cardiovascular exercise (think pickle ball, swimming, group exercise classes, running, brisk walking) a week as well as remaining physically active during the day.
Burga believes cardiovascular health is vitally important for overall health and well-being. Burga feels very strongly that “those who rest, rot”. By engaging in regular physical activity, one can reduce the risk of developing high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, and heart disease. Burga states regular physical activity is also a way to improve one’s mood, quality of sleep, self-esteem, and body image. Contact the Akron YMCA (www.akronymca.org) for more information about group exercise programs (www.akronymca.org/schedules). Whether you choose the YMCA’s state-of-the art cardio equipment or enroll in one of the Akron YMCA’s group exercise programs, you’ll be contributing to your overall health and wellbeing as well as reducing your risk for heart disease.
Citations:
1Center for Disease Control and Prevention, “Heart Disease Facts”, May 2023, found at https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/facts.htm#:~:text=Heart%20disease%20is%20the%20leading%20cause%20of%20death,in%202021%E2%80%94that%E2%80%99s%201%20in%20every%205%20deaths.%201%2C2rt Disease Facts | cdc.gov
2Tsao, CW, Aday AW, Almarzooq ZI, Beaton AZ, Bittencourt MS, Boehme AK, et al. Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics 2023 Update: A Report From the American Heart Association. Circulation 2023; 147:e93-e621. 3National Heart Month 2024, Holidays, found at https://angiegensler.com/national-heart-month 4American Heart Association, Healthy Lifestyles, 2024, found at https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-lifestyle thy Lifestyle | American Heart Association