Celebrating American Heart Month

February is American Heart Month and here at Taylor Homes we’re celebrating by being healthy, learning about how to keep our heart healthy, and encouraging others to do the same. The first American Heart Month took place in February 1964. At the time, more than half of the deaths in the United States were caused by cardiovascular disease. Today, heart disease is still one of the biggest health concerns, with 2,300 Americans dying each day from the disease. With such high numbers, it is important that we stay proactive and take steps every day to lower our risk of heart disease. Here are some of the best ways to keep you heart healthy!

First and foremost, it is important to STAY ACTIVE! Being active and exercising regularly is a great way to keep your heart healthy. Physical activity does a number of great things to your body, including:

• lowering blood pressure
• boosting good cholesterol
• improving blood flow
• keeping your weight under control
• providing a natural mood booster

While many people get overwhelmed at the thought of joining a gym and starting an exercise routine, it doesn’t take a major change to improve your heart health. Walking for 30 minutes a day, or taking up one new workout class can help you stay more active without feeling overwhelmed. At Taylor Homes, when we are in the design process of helping our customers build their dream home, we often talk about the option of including a home gym. If you are able to have a home gym in your house, this is a great way to stay active, and it gives you access to a workout space whenever you have the time. Working an exercise routine in your schedule can be difficult, but it is such an important part of keeping your heart healthy.

Another way to keep your heart healthy is improving your diet. Making healthy choices for you and your family is a great way to lower your risk of heart disease. If you know that you have an unhealthy diet, start by making small changes and improve from there. The good news is, modest changes to your diet and exercise routine can improve your heart health and lower your risk of heart disease by up to 80%. While you can’t change things like age and family history, take control of the things that you can change and improve your health.

Let us know how you are celebrating American Heart Month and what you do to stay “heart healthy”!