Fittingly (and not coincidentally) for the month in which sweethearts celebrate Valentine’s Day, February is also American Heart Month. It’s an event for raising awareness about good cardiovascular wellness practices and heart disease prevention.
A thorough understanding of heart healthy living is particularly important for seniors to have. Heart disease is the leading cause of mortality among Americans aged 65 and older, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That’s why we’re proud that our sister community, Marjorie P. Lee, has been named a center of Excellence by the Christ Hospital for Congestive Heart Failure based on its outstanding nursing care, its longstanding reputation in the community and its track record of low readmission rates back to the hospital for patients.
Here are 4 ways that Cincinnati seniors can celebrate American Heart Month as they improve their cardiovascular health and take better care of their tickers.
1. Learn more about a heart healthy diet.
UC Health and The Little Clinic will co-host “Sips & Tips with Your Dietitian: Love your Heart,” a seminar on cardiovascular health, at The Little Clinic’s Mason Kroger location on Saturday, Feb. 18, from noon – 2 p.m.
The event will feature delicious food, wine tastings and expert advice. Seniors can learn the nutritional and flavorful benefits of a heart-healthy diet and lifestyle.
You can register to attend by stopping by the Mason clinic, by clicking here to email the coordinating dietician, or by calling 1-877-563-9057. Please plan to arrive 10 - 15 minutes early at the clinic on the day of the event.
Remember to maintain good cardiovascular wellness practices and eat right so that you can keep living well into the future.
2. Register to walk or run in the Heart Mini Marathon.
The Heart Mini, benefitting the American Heart Association (AHA), has been one of Greater Cincinnati largest annual fundraising events for four decades. Each spring, tens of thousands of Tristate residents come together to participate in a heart-healthy exercise and raise funds to fight cardiovascular illnesses like heart attacks, hypertension and strokes.
The Heart Mini isn’t just one event — there are many happenings that take place downtown the same weekend. The Heart Mini Health and Fitness Expo will occur on Saturday, March 11, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the Duke Energy Convention Center. It will feature information booths, fitness demonstrations and more.
The following day, March 12, the races and walks proceed, beginning with the St. Elizabeth Healthcare's Heart 1/2 Marathon at 7:30 a.m., and concluding with the Mercy Health 5K Walk at noon. Competitive runners and walkers alike will find events to suit them.
Click here for more information, or to register for a race or walk.
3. Attend the 2017 Cincinnati Heart Ball.
The Cincinnati Heart Ball is an annual black-tie gala, also benefitting the American Heart Association, that will take place Saturday, Feb. 25, 6:30 p.m., at downtown’s Duke Energy Convention Center.
The gala features a gourmet meal, musical entertainment and dancing, as well as interactive auctions and an after-party for young professionals. Contributions received at the gala are used to support cardiovascular research, professional and community education programs, and heart health advocacy.
For more information, or to purchase your tickets to the ball, click here.
4. Volunteer with the Cincinnati Metro chapter of the American Heart Association.
There are plenty of opportunities to help the AHA spread awareness about cardiovascular health and heart disease prevention. You could serve on a planning committee for the annual Go Red for Women event in May, which focuses on women’s heart health.
You could become a volunteer CPR instructor, or help to knit hats for babies born with congenital heart defects. You could become part of the support network for local caregivers of seniors with serious cardiovascular conditions. You could even volunteer to host your own heart health fundraising or awareness event.
Click here to find out more about the AHA’s current needs, then fill out the form and register as a volunteer.
Eat healthy, exercise and take care of your heart. And help others during American Heart Month!
You can participate in American Heart Month through any of the events or activities listed above, or you can find or create your own way to celebrate. Just remember to maintain good cardiovascular wellness practices and eat right so that you can keep living — heart-healthily — well into the future.
