September 29th is World Heart Day! What is World Heart Day, you ask? It’s a day dedicated to informing people across the world about the seriousness cardiovascular disease carries and the fact that heart disease and stroke claim 17.3 million lives a year.
This year for the special day, the World Heart Federation is focusing on individuals creating a heart-healthy environment for themselves so they’re able to make healthy choices on a regular basis. What can you do to make a difference on World Heart Day? Check out these 7 ways to get your heart healthy and change world heart health:
Organize a Walk with Your Co-Workers and Friends
A large part of heart health is about getting out and staying active on a regular basis. Put together a walk to get the whole team involved so you can promote healthy heart choices in the workplace. This could be on the weekend to get everyone together for some bonding time or even during lunch for 30 minutes a day! Turn meetings into walking meetings and encourage your co-workers to bring their walking shoes to work!
Switch up Your Workout Routine
Try something different when it comes to your cardio routine for the day! Switch it up with 15 minutes on the elliptical, 15 minutes on the bike, and monitor your heart rate throughout each. Using different methods to get your heart rate up keeps your body guessing and prevents you from getting bored of your workout and hopefully dreading it less! Are you normally a yoga fiend? Try weightlifting. Do you normally walk to work? Take your bike instead.
Take a Healthy Heart Selfie
Show your support for the cause by posting a healthy heart selfie on the September 29th and spotlight the healthy choices you and your team are making like the walk you organized or the apple you chose over a doughnut in the morning. Tweet at the World Heart Federation (@worldheartfed) with the hashtag #WorldHeartDay and you could be featured on their wall of selfies!
Organize a Healthy Pot-Luck for the Day
Make it easy for everyone working that day to make healthy choices when it comes to their food by organizing a healthy pot-luck. Start a sign-up sheet and add options at the top to take the guessing game out of what is okay and what’s not to bring in. Co-workers can either sign their name by an item or sign-up for something different that fits the criteria like a nut mix or a medley of berries. Spread it all out in the morning and let the healthy heart snacking begin!
Share these Heart Healthy Recipes with Your Friends
After the day is over, continue the heart healthy choices in the workplace and with your friends by sharing these awesome recipes that are not only delicious but promote a happy and healthy heart.
Salmon with asparagus
Berry smoothie with flaxseed
Dark chocolate dipped Mandarin oranges
Spread the Word
Post on your social media channels and inform those you care about on the outstanding numbers surrounding this disease:
- Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the number 1 cause of death globally
- More people die annually from CVD than from any other cause
- By the year 2030, the amount of premature deaths caused by CVD annually is estimated to be 23 million
Encourage your loved ones to get regular heart checks and do your best to promote heart healthy options when you’re with them like going for walks instead of sitting and watching Netflix or heading to the grocery store for fruit for a late night snack during movie night instead of hitting the fast food drive thru.
Lead a Group Meditation Session
Whether it be in the middle of the workday for a quick 20-minute breather or after all the work has been completed, get everyone together to destress and breathe with a little meditation. Never led a meditation session before? There are tons of apps out there you can download to get going, like Buddhify and Headspace. Taking the time to calm down after a long day is great for lowering blood pressure which can cause cardiovascular disease.
What are you doing on World Heart Day? Tweet at us and let us know what we missed or if you’re trying anything from our list! @TriageStaff