Heart to Start

February is National Heart Month and we are sharing stories of Heart to Start participants who've experienced their own heart events and steps taken to overcome the unthinkable as they return to their active lifestyles. Nancy made the choice to gift herself time for health and discovered a passion for running, in what seemed to be a peak of her fitness while participating in a marathon she experienced a heart attack. Listen as she shares her path back to regular movement and rebuilding trust within herself. 

February is National Heart Month and we are sharing stories of Heart to Start participants who've experienced their own heart events and steps taken to overcome the unthinkable as they return to their active lifestyles. Anthony has taken the perspective of celebrating all the possibilities and even expanding his hobbies to include more community-centered opportunities for both encouragement and accountability.

Did you know that volunteering can help reduce your risk of high blood pressure, depression, and chronic pain? Research shows that people who give back to their community experience better overall health, greater life satisfaction, and ability to manage their own chronic illnesses. Healing it forward makes your community healthier - and doing good always comes back to support you, too. This week we hear from Brittn Grey, someone lucky enough to have a day job centered around this very idea of volunteerism and helping our communities. We learn why businesses are adding volunteerism to their employee wellness programming and the benefits of doing so. 

Using our knowledge Dr. Thurman offered around the benefits of exercise on our mental and emotional health, we are sharing the story of Mindy, a long-time participant who is one of the amazing healthcare workers who've been on the front lines with the pandemic. Mindy is an RN working with some of our most vulnerable patients within behavioral health. She shares how exercise plays an important role in her own mental health so that she can be her best self to her patients, family, and her own self. 

Continuing our focus on nutrition this week, we expand on our previous episode of nutrition basics and look to more specific scenarios for athletes and/or those following a training plan that may expend more energy and thus require more energy in the form of healthy foods. Registered dietitian, Niki Strealy, offers great insight into this topic and also dives into the idea of digestive health. Our participant spotlight takes us across the nation to Pennsylvania where we visit with Lainie and hear her story of connecting with a community she's never met, her personal success and also her approach to nutrition and time management with a demanding life schedule. 

For our participant story this week, we actually bring you two friends from our Basecamp community programs, where we offer free prevention + wellness classes and education for everyone. Chuck and Christine incorporate a variety of exercise styles into their weekly routine that include aerobic exercises and strength training. Learn why a regular exercise routine is important to them and how they've kept moving regularly during the pandemic. 

Creating an inclusive community: what does it mean to be "inclusive", the importance of inclusivity for overall health; access/equity conversations around movement and community programs. 

It's not often you hear stories where someone has made a perfect match by combining exercise and volunteerism. Hear from a community member on how she's able to give of her time to a variety of organizations while tackling her own health too. What keeps Margaret active year-round is her enjoyment of multiple modes of movement and she seeks communities that support her goals and her passions.

Having a four-legged family member brings a new level of joy, and benefit, to a home. Studies have shown the positive health benefits pets can have on their humans from lowered blood pressure, improved mental/emotional health, and even lowered risk for heart disease. Knowing not all pets are meant to hit the open road for a walk or a run, did you know not all dogs are meant for the same? We are talking with the Oregon Humane Society this week on best practices when exercising with your dogs to keep you both safe and healthy.

We are fortunate to celebrate so many amazing stories of our participants over the years. Some are immediate in response to a recent season and others are built over several seasons of Heart to Start, where a passion was born and confidence built to branch out and build upon the movement of walking or running. This week's participant highlight shares Leo's story on how he got started with Heart to Start and the steps he took to find a sweet spot with dualathons, taking on a new sport and training for competitive racing. 

Joining us for this episode is cardiologist and Iron Man athlete, Dr. Robert Quintos, who shares on his personal experiences training for endurance sports and competitions while also supporting his passion for helping others enjoy taking their first steps toward a new activity or exercise. We dive into the basics of swimming for exercise and learn some rules of the road when it comes to taking up cycling for recreation and as a sport. 

Our participant story this week celebrates the rewards from following a consistent exercise plan-lowered heart rate, weight loss, and emotional wellness. Her story will resonate with many who may experience success with certain health goals, like weight loss, and experience life challenges that take you off course. Finding the inner strength and leaning on an encouraging community is what brought her back to a space where she feels she's living her best, healthiest life. 

Continuing our conversation around caring for an active body, we shift our focus to our actual body and all the great support it provides to keep us active and healthy. To keep the body working at its optimum levels throughout the season, we learn from a sports medicine expert. Gain knowledge around proper stretching - what's best pre versus post workout. We will also tackle the inevitable aches versus pains in knowing when it's okay to keep going and when your body is signaling a need for rest. Our participant story highlights the importance of caring for your body as she took up running again and in the midst of regaining her momentum, a personal health condition disrupted those plans. 

The topic of caring for an active body is rather broad. We've broken this down into two parts this week to allow specific focus on areas we feel are important to our community engaging in a variety of exercise activities. In this episode we focus on some of the basics to keep us moving - proper footwear, gait analysis, dressing for the weather, and suggested safety equipment to be seen when exercising during this time of year.

When starting a new exercise program or mapping a training plan, there's planning involved to set yourself up for success. One of the often forgotten yet very important tools is your mental plan - mindset, goal setting, creating a supportive community. You're in luck as we have our friend, and certified mental performance coach, sharing all the tools to get your mental approach dialed in and ready for the season.

Get more information or register for Heart to Start at hearttostart.org

As we celebrate the start of our 10th year, we take a look back to where it all started with a visit from a few friends who've been with us since day one and who continue the work to advocate within their communities. You'll be energized and inspired to get started with our 12-week season!

Get more information or sign up to register for Heart to Start at hearttostart.org