Heart disease is the leading cause of death for Americans, claiming 647,457 lives, in 2017. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 50% of Americans experience at least one of the top three risk factors: high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, and smoking. Other factors include obesity, lack of physical activity, and unhealthy eating habits.
This is a great time to discuss prevention and lifestyle changes you and your coworkers can take to improve your health. For instance, offer healthy food options to employees, create a wellness program and offer incentives to employees for participating. Other benefits of this include lower health costs, more productive employees, behavioral changes, and tax incentives.
Raise awareness of Heart Month and improve heart health with the following member-exclusive materials:
- 5-Minute Safety Talk: Managing Stress at Work
- Checklist: It’s Never too Late to Form Healthy Habits
- Quiz: Employee Wellness
To remain healthy, start at home. Exercise can control weight and reduce the chances of developing heart problems. Start at a moderate level and aim for 30 minutes of exercise a day. Short amounts of time make a difference and provide health benefits. Normal household chores such as cleaning and walking the dog count!
According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, exercising also has the following health benefits.
- Physical activity releases brain chemicals to improve your mood
- Builds strong bones and increases strength
- Helps individuals quit smoking
- Improves sleep patterns
- Reduces the likelihood of cancer
For more information check out these other resources
Start off 2019 and make it the heart-healthiest year yet!!
