Page 6 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – Friday, February 22, 2019 Join Together To Protect Your Heart and Celebrate #OurHearts During American Heart Month D id you know that people who have close relationships at home, work, or in their community tend to be healthier and live longer? One reason, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), is that we’re more successful meeting our health goals when we join forces with others. To underscore this point and mark American Heart Month this February, NHLBI is launching the #OurHearts movement, to inspire people to protect and strengthen their hearts with the support of others. Here are some facts, how-to tips, and resources to inspire you to join with others to improve your heart health. Heart disease is a leading cause of death in the United States. Most middle aged people (90 to 95 percent) and young adults (75 to 80 percent) have one or more risk factors for heart disease, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or high blood cholesterol, or being a smoker or overweight. Having more than one risk factor increases your risk for heart disease much more than having just one. Join us for a public meeting to discuss the redesign of two of Everett’s parks! Hale School Park (Glendale Street Park) Central Avenue Playground (Woodland Street Playground) March 4, 2019 6:30 pm Everett City Hall, Room 35 484 Broadway Join Everett’s Planning and Development Department and Bohler Engineering at a public meeting to review and provide comment on the new designs for the Central Avenue Playground and Glendale Street Park. For more information please call Planning and Development at (617) 394-5004 Why Reaching Out Is Good Having positive, close relationships and feeling connected with others benefi ts our overall health, including our blood pressure and weight. Having people in our lives who will motivate and care for us helps, but having feelings of closeness and companionship helps our health too. Making the following heart healthy lifestyle changes will be easier and more successful if you work with other motivated people: • Get physically active. • Achieve a healthy weight and maintain it. • Eat heart healthy foods. • Quit smoking. Remember, you don’t have to make big changes all at once. Small steps will get you where you want to go. Here are some tips to get you going. Move More Invite family, friends, colleagues, or members of your community to join you in your efforts to be more physically active: • Ask a colleague to walk with you on a regular basis, put the date on both your calendars, and text or call to make sure you both show up. • Join an exercise class at your local community center and bring a neighbor along. Carpool to make it a regular date. • Grab your kids, put on some music, and do jumping jacks, skip rope, or just dance. • Make your social time active and encourage everyone—family and friends alike— to think of fun things that get you off the couch and moving. If you have a health condition, including heart disease or high blood pressure, talk with your doctor before increasing your activity. How much is enough? Aim for at least 2½ hours of physical activity each week—that’s just 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. In #OURHEARTS | SEE PAGE 15
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