Have you paused recently to consider the miraculous marvel that resides in the center of your chest? Sure, when we say “heart” in February our imaginations may conjure images of conversation hearts and adorable cupids, but we’re talking about literal hearts, those amazing pumps we can’t live without. This year marks the 60th anniversary of American Heart Month, so we invite you to join the medical staffing professionals at Trek in celebrating the heart all month long.

Our Amazing Hearts

The importance of our hearts cannot be overlooked. Be amazed by these heart facts:

• A heart pumps 1.5 gallons of blood per minute. That’s more than 2,000 gallons per day!

• Your heart beats 100,000 times a day. In a seventy-five-year lifespan, that’s nearly 263 million beats!

• In literature, religion, and across cultures, the heart is used to symbolize the soul, conscience, seat of emotions, truth, courage, and moral compass.

• Your heart rate is impacted by your emotions. Feeling anxious? It will accelerate. Feeling at ease? It will slow down.

• No human heart pumps faster than that of a newborn baby.

• We’re most at risk for heart attacks on Monday. Heart attacks are triggered by a rise in blood pressure and heart rates, paired with the presence of stress hormones. As we face a new week and all of its demands, we may be in prime position for a heart attack.

Make the Most of American Heart Month

As long as heart disease is the number one killer of men and women, not only in the United States, but around the globe, those of us in the medical profession need to lead the way in teaching and advocacy for a healthy heart. This doesn’t mean you have to become the harbinger of doomsday messages, but by virtue of your medical training and knowledge, you can have a profound impact during American Heart Month.

• Gather with friends or family and prepare a heart-healthy meal. Perhaps you can organize a potluck with the other nurses in your unit and swap recipes for the dishes everyone brings.

• Model great habits. You’ll add authority to your “choose a healthy lifestyle” message when you are practicing the same.

• If you struggle with any aspect of caring for your heart health, enlist the support of friends, family, and coworkers to encourage and support you, as well as hold you accountable for making good choices.

• Wear red, especially on the first Friday of the month, and use your bold attire as an opportunity to draw attention to our amazing hearts.

• Tell your own story. Facts and statistics can wow us, but the relational and humanizing approach of making heart care personal and experiential will have the greater positive impact.

• Tell a joke or relive a funny experience. When it comes to your cardiovascular health, laughter truly is the best medicine! When you laugh, your blood vessels relax, making it much easier for your heart to pump blood throughout your body. Your blood pressure lowers, and a good belly laugh will help you feel all is right in the world.

• Go to bed. Seriously, one of the greatest things you can do for your heart (as well as mind, muscles, and all the rest of your body) is get adequate sleep consistently. Research shows that those who sleep less than six hours per night are prime candidates for heart disease. For optimal health, strive for 7-9 hours per night.

Live Heart Healthy Every Day

With February’s national initiative focusing on American Heart Month, it’s a bit easier to prioritize and give attention to your heart health. However, caring for that vital organ and reducing your chances of becoming a tragic statistic requires education and action, and we must care for our hearts all year long.

Know the Risk Factors

• High blood pressure

• High cholesterol

• Being overweight or obese

• Prediabetes or diabetes

• Smoking

• Sedentary lifestyle

• Family history of heart disease, especially at younger ages

• Poor nutrition

• History of preeclampsia

Take Action to Protect Your Health

While some of these factors, such as your family history, are outside of your control, most of the risk factors listed above can be mitigated by the lifestyle choices you make. To successfully live heart healthy, start by making small changes, such as committing to a fifteen-minute walk after dinner or adding more fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins into your diet. Small changes set you up for success, and feeling better, more energetic, and in control of your future will spark the desire for additional changes.

Because some risk factors are not immediately observable, such as your cholesterol levels or blood pressure, it is vital that you see your doctor regularly for checkups, especially as you age. Men tend to experience heart disease ten years younger than women do, but women’s risks increase with the onset of menopause, whether it begins by natural causes or is early onset by a hysterectomy.

Have a Heart This February

We hope you’ll join Trek Healthcare Staffing in celebrating American Heart Month. We also hope you’re being kind to your own heart by working in a fulfilling and purposeful job, as your level of satisfaction at work directly correlates to your risk factors for heart disease. If you’d like more information about career options “full of heart” through travel nursing, we’d love to tell you more. Give us a call today!