The bad news? Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. The good news? It is also one of the most preventable. By making heart healthy choices with diet and exercise, being aware of your family’s health history and potential risk factors for heart disease, having regular check-ups with your physician to manage your health, you better your chances to prevent this silent killer. February is Heart Health Month and a great opportunity to reassess your lifestyle and make some positive changes towards bettering your heart health.
Living a healthy lifestyle doesn’t have to mean kale smoothies for every meal and tortuous exercise every day of the week. It can be fun too, especially with all of what lovely Durham, NC has to offer. Check it out…
Eno River State Park: This beautiful attraction was voted Regional State Park of the year in 2015. It flows near urban areas of Durham and Orange counties with five scattered access areas, each just minutes from town amenities. Enjoy 30 miles of trails along a swift, shallow stream where you can enjoy activities such as fishing, canoeing, kayaking, hiking, and more.
Durham Central Park: The mission of this 5-acre city-owned park “is to create and sustain a unique urban park to engage the Durham community”. This is accomplished by focusing efforts on natural beauty, public art, community events, and recreation and is an excellent way to incorporate fun activities into a healthy lifestyle. The park offers fantastic options for both diet and exercise – enjoy features such as a skate park, children’s interactive play area, the Garden of Eatin’ (a free-pick, public edible garden), healthy and fresh food options at the Durham Farmer’s Market, and events like the upcoming Food Truck Rodeo.
Falls Lake State Recreation Area: This awesome recreation area is a collective of seven access areas scattered around the shoreline of an undeveloped, 12,000-acre reservoir. There are five swim beaches and a number of boating ramps, some of which are reserved for paddlers and non-gasoline powered boats. There’s a network of mountain biking trails as well as a separate lake impoundment meant for paddling, fishing, and swimming. The Mountains-to-Sea State Trail winds through the recreations areas and is the centerpiece of a network of hiking trails.
Downtown Durham YMCA: With any YMCA membership, comes an affordable, fun place to jumpstart your healthy lifestyle. Not only do they have an excellent fitness center, they also offer classes, group exercise programs, sports leagues, camps, and so much more!
Wellness for the Mind, Body, and Spirit: A healthy lifestyle should also incorporate a healthy mind, body, and spirit. Check out the Yelp’s Top 10 places to do yoga in Durham, NC.
At UNC Fertility, we are doing our part to recognize Heart Health Month and to spread awareness about the dangers of heart disease. For more information on how you can learn more about Heart Health Month, risk factors, and or ways to prevent this terrible disease, click here.
Resources: http://www.theheartfoundation.org/heart-disease-facts/heart-awareness-month/