February is American Heart Month — and with research indicating blood pressure has worsened in both men and women since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, it's important to use this month to get a blood-pressure screening and focus on becoming heart-healthy.

While high blood pressure and heart disease are serious conditions, the good news is a healthy heart is an achievable goal through lifestyle changes — and making those changes can be as easy as contacting the Y.

Here are tips for everyone to become heart-healthy this February.

1. Get Moving

Being physically active every day is not only fun — it can also improve the function of your heart.

Plan and schedule opportunities for active play. For example:

  • A brisk 10-minute trip around the block after meals — three of those per day is a heart-healthy 30 minutes
  • Drop in at the Y for a quick walk on the treadmill or a quick swim
  • A 20-minute group fitness class at lunch or after work
  • Family walks with kids and dogs

The American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity activity — or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, or a combination. The numbers are easier to hit than most people think.

2. Know Your Numbers

You can't manage what you don't measure.

Know your:

  • Blood pressure — annual at minimum; monthly if you're tracking changes
  • Cholesterol — total, LDL, HDL, triglycerides
  • Blood sugar — fasting and A1c
  • Body weight and BMI — as one data point among many
  • Resting heart rate — a strong indicator of cardiovascular fitness

Most of these are tested at routine physicals. If you haven't had one in over a year, schedule one.

3. Eat for Your Heart

Heart-healthy eating doesn't require complicated diets. The basics:

  • More plants — vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts
  • Lean proteins — fish, poultry without skin, beans, tofu
  • Healthy fats — olive oil, avocado, nuts, fatty fish (salmon, sardines, mackerel)
  • Less sodium — read labels; processed foods are the biggest sodium source
  • Less added sugar — sweetened beverages are the easiest place to cut
  • Less saturated fat — limit red meat, full-fat dairy, fried foods

The Mediterranean diet and the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) eating pattern both have strong evidence behind them for cardiovascular benefit.

4. Manage Stress

Chronic stress is a real cardiovascular risk factor.

Stress-management practices that work:

  • Regular physical activity (it's listed three times for a reason)
  • Sleep — 7–9 hours per night for most adults
  • Mindfulness, meditation, prayer, or quiet reflection
  • Social connection — relationships are cardio-protective
  • Boundaries on news consumption — chronic stress from doomscrolling is real
  • Professional support when needed

5. Avoid Tobacco

Smoking remains the single most important modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

If you smoke, quitting is the highest-leverage thing you can do for your heart. Within months of quitting, cardiovascular risk begins falling significantly. Within a few years, ex-smokers approach the risk profile of never-smokers.

If you've tried to quit and not succeeded — try again. Most successful quitters had multiple attempts. Sky Lakes Wellness Center, your primary-care provider, and various smoking-cessation programs can support the process.

6. Limit Alcohol

For adults who drink, moderation matters:

  • No more than one drink per day for women
  • No more than two drinks per day for men

Heavy drinking is associated with elevated blood pressure, weakened heart muscle, and increased stroke risk. If you've been drinking more than these guidelines, scaling back is one of the simpler heart-health moves you can make.

7. Connect with the Y

The YMCA of Klamath Falls is built specifically to support exactly this kind of lifestyle change.

  • Group fitness — multiple classes daily across cardio, strength, flexibility
  • Personal training — certified trainers who design programs around heart health
  • Aquatics — low-impact cardio that's gentle on joints
  • Diabetes Prevention Program — heart-health benefits as a side effect
  • Healthy Living programs — nutrition, family wellness, cooking education

A February Promise

This February, make a heart-health commitment:

  1. Take your blood pressure
  2. Add 30 minutes of activity to most days
  3. Cook one more meal at home each week

Three small commitments. Sustained over months, they translate to real cardiovascular benefit.

The YMCA of Klamath Falls · 1221 S Alameda Ave · (541) 884-4149 · kfallsymca.org

Your heart will thank you.