HEART SMARTS:
Women Gain Tips for
Healthier Hearts
by India Holland
JOMC Journal Reporter
In your lifetime, your heart will perform more physical work than any other muscle in your body according to the American Heart Association. Your heart truly takes care of you, so it’s important that you care for your heart.
That was the message conveyed during the N. C. A&T Aggies “Go Red For Women’s Heart Health Fair” sponsored by the Sebastian Health Center and The American Heart Association.
It was a sea of red showing support for women’s health . Based on early registration, more than 500 members of the community, A&T students, faculty, health care providers and vendors attended the event.
“This is a positive step in the right direction. All of these women are showing
up today to become more aware of their health and show support for each other. It is a beautiful sight,” said Trudy Chavis, a retired register nurse from High Point Regional Hospital. “Women don’t realize how quickly and quietly their heart health can be impacted, not by the obvious heart attack, but by so many other elements such as blood pressure, cholesterol and weight.”
A&T nursing students checked blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose, oxygen levels in the blood and performed CPR demonstrations. The broader message was awareness, being aware of what your numbers are and how to keep them at a healthy level. Nutritionists, cosmetologist, personal trainers, dermotologists, and healthy food displays also helped promote women’s health..
Nursing students, Britney Murray and Raven Locklear, weighed in on the challenges with heart health in a student’s life.
Locklear said the biggest thing people should have walked away from the fair with was awareness. “Become aware of their numbers when getting their blood pressure checked, know that they are at risk for hypertension or pre-hypertension. Also, get better eating habits and exercise,” Locklear said.
“We have such a sedentary lifestyle and a lack of exercise is the biggest factor for students. We are surrounded by numerous fast-food restaurants and if you don’t want the cafe food and you don’t have the option to cook, your only other option is fast food,” said Murray. “I tell my friends if you want something healthy, go to the cafe and stay away from the fast food.”
Murray agreed with Locklear about exercise. “In our tuition, the gym is included. Students can go to the gym and get a personal trainer. Also, instead of taking the shuttle to class all the time, get some friends and walk to class. It’s more motivating when doing it together.”
The same message was echoed by a Guildford County Health Department employee, Jenny Lee, who works in the Family Planning Unit. Lee stated that the two overwhelming health concerns found in African-American women today are hypertension and obesity. These two conditions exist primarily because of the sedentary lifestyle and lack of exercise. She suggests making better food choices as well as decreasing the amount of time your family devotes to television and technology. Take a walk around the block or park in the farthest parking space away from your building; do anything to get more exercise, she said
Dr. Ruth Phillips, the Community Wellness Promotion Coordinator of the Sebastian Health Center, said that Aggies Go Red was a huge success. Women from throughout the Triad attended this event.. Events spreading from the Aggies Go Red Power Walk to the Zumba classes to the Cook Off were all focused on heart health.
“February is National Heart Month and now is the time to focus on heart health and continue to a healthy life,” said Phillips. The American Heart Association requested to partner with Sebastian for the Aggies Go Red event. “The AHA needed to target a certain demographic that isn’t typically reached. They realized we could reach that population and wanted to partner with us. It was a win-win for everyone, said Phillips. “The whole idea behind Aggies Go Red was to get people to understand they can be healthy and have good food at the same time. Go Red is all about getting healthy.”
India nice page. What better way to start than talk about our health. Hypertension has definitely made me aware of my numbers.
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