February is American Heart Month, and the Oak Park Public Health Department is highlighting ways to maintain a healthy heart. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, but you can take steps to reduce your risk. One way to increase heart health is to maintain regular physical activity, which can be as simple as going for a walk with a friend or while listening to music. Oak Park residents can walk the track at the Community Recreation Center at 229 Madison St. for free, a warmer option during the winter months. Learn more about the indoor track at www.pdop.org/crc/indoortrack.
More heart healthy tips:
- Commit to a walking schedule or other regular physical activity with a friend or family member, even if you can’t do it together. Text or call each other with updates or challenges.
- Try a new heart-healthy recipe each week. Ask friends and family to share their favorite low-sodium or healthy recipe with you, or look up even more recipes at healthyeating.nhlbi.nih.gov.
- Make a request to the Public Health Department to give a presentation to your organization about ways to prevent heart disease. Contact the department at 708.358.5480 or health@oak-park.us.