Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. Since 1963, Hearth Health Month has been observed in February to promote actions, behaviors and initiatives in the battle against this serious health threat.

As a school-based healthcare professional, you have a unique opportunity to empower the next generation, as well as your team members and colleagues, with heart health awareness. Here are some ways you can incorporate the message into your school and its curriculum:

Hold daily classroom activities.

Daily classroom physical activity breaks can be very beneficial. Getting students up and moving helps them focus, as well as improving their physical strengths.

Develop creative lessons.

Start with providing background about heart health so students understand its importance and the related activities they’ll be working on. Be creative in your approach from there. For instance, what about yoga or meditation sessions to assist with stress management?

Coordinate or participate in heart health events or days.

Consider partnering up with your local hospital or other community organizations to maximize your impact as you observe Heart Health Month. Another idea: coordinate a day where everyone at school wears red to promote cardiac health.

Take a multi-media approach.

Feature your Heart Health Month activities and wellness tips in your school newsletter and on the website, bulletin boards, and in social media and daily announcements.

Focus on nutrition.

You’re missing the point if your cafeteria and communications don’t focus on healthy eating, in February and throughout the school year. Teaching young people about nutrition and making healthy food choices is essential to prevent obesity and other heart disease risk factors. You may want to conduct taste tests or cooking demonstrations using heart-healthy recipes.

Incorporate heart health into various subjects.

Sprinkle heart health lessons and activities into various subject areas. For instance, in math class, students can track their heart rates. Include a unit on the heart in science class. And, heart health messages in PE should be a given.

Send the message home.

Home carryover of the importance of heart health is critical. Send emails or pamphlets home and provide lists of suggestions for families as they embark on their cardiac wellness journeys. Gear some of your activities toward family members of both students and faculty, as well as students themselves.

CPR: Be the Beat.

The American Heart Association encourages you to “be the beat” by growing the number of people who are certified to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR. The association offers user-friendly CPR Training Kits with everything you need to learn CPR and assist both children and adults during heart and choking related emergencies.
• You can order a “Don’t Drop the Beat” playlist of songs performed at between 100 and 120 beats per minute, the same rate at which CPR compressions should be administered.

For additional resources and expertise as you build your career in school-based healthcare – or to find your next great professional opportunity in California or nationwide – contact Covelo Group today.