February is American Heart Health Month, but caring for your heart is important any time of year. That’s why, in addition to maintaining our existing heart health articles with updates to include new research, we’re also bringing new content your way to share accessible tips for things you can do today or any day to show your heart some love.
Preventive care can help reduce long-term healthcare costs. And maintaining health in midlife can have long-term positive effects on health status later in life, too.
While there’s always the possibility that you may develop conditions you can’t prevent, like cancer or Alzheimer’s disease, and genetics also play a role in overall health, there are steps you can take to improve your general well-being.
Many small or micro lifestyle changes have the potential to have a big impact on your heart health. You may be familiar with some, like increased exercise or increased vegetable intake. Even improvements to oral hygiene may make a difference.
I’ve been fortunate to have mostly good health, but as I get older, I’m more aware of my own mortality, especially after losing several family members over the past 3 years. Developing healthy habits, including ones that support heart health, is one action I can take to help increase the chances that I’ll be here long enough to witness important moments in my children’s lives.
This year, I’m focusing on small changes that I can manage on top of my busy life as a working mom to two young, energetic boys. I don’t have a lot of time in my day for long workouts, and by the time I get home, I’m too tired to make involved dinners. Stress is a regular part of my life, and sleep is something that has eluded me since I was pregnant with my first child. He’s 9 years old and counting.
Instead of taking an all-or-nothing approach, I’m embracing the idea that any positive change is better than no change. If you’re also looking for ways to adopt healthier habits but have found big changes hard to make or maintain, I encourage you to join me and take a similar approach, assuming you have the OK from your doctor.
If you’re looking for ways to improve your heart health, we have many resources available, including a heart health content center, a Heart Health newsletter, and recipes to support health goals.
You can also follow along as I share my experiences over the year, including healthy habits I adopt to support my heart and general well-being.
From my heart to yours,
Megan Severs, senior editorial director