American Heart Month reminds us to take care now — and plan for the future

We talk a lot about a “heart healthy" diet, or go to the gym for cardio classes — but what does all that mean?

If you’re not sure, or need some pointers on taking care of the ol’ ticker, then there’s no better time to get educated than American Heart Month, brought to us by the American Heart Association. First, some sobering statistics:

•          Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States
•          One in four deaths every year are caused by heart disease

And now some good news: Healthy choices when it comes to diet and exercise can go a long way toward preventing heart disease entirely, or slowing its progression. And this is a situation where everyone can work together to support each other on the journey to a healthier heart.

The Centers for Disease Control has a few great tips:

•          Schedule a doctor’s visit to talk about heart health (Had that annual checkup yet?).
•          Add exercise to your day; start slow at first, then try to work up to 30 minutes at least three times a week.
•          Cook heart-healthy meals at least three times a week — in particular, watch the salt.
•          Smoker? Stop. Nothing else to say, except to call 1-800-QUIT-NOW and know that you’re not alone.
•          Are you on medication for cholesterol or high blood pressure? Be sure to take it as prescribed.

Want to get the word out about the importance of heart health? The government’s Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion has put tougher a great toolkit with sample tweets, articles and other information that’s easy to grab and post to your social media channels. Take a look, find the right message you want to send, and join Scrubin Uniforms in the fight for healthy hearts everywhere!