Celebrate Heart Health!

It’s pretty typical in February to think a lot about hearts- of course, it’s the month we pass out heart shaped cards and candies to those we love and care about on Valentine’s Day, but at the Thinkery we’re also thinking about healthy, happy hearts and celebrating American Heart Month! Our hearts act as a pump for our body, and help provide continuous circulation of our blood through the body. As one of our most important organs, it’s never too early to instill heart healthy habits and get heart smart!

There’s lots of easy things kids can do to keep their hearts healthy, here’s a few ideas!

1) Move, move, move! Plan time for the whole family to move together- from taking a trip to the park to team sports to a game of hide and seek, there’s so many ways to find an opportunity to move in your day! Exercise should be a fun part of life, not a chore (and if you’re at the Thinkery, check out our Move Studio and the Climber!). Go play!

2) Brush your teeth! It may not sound super obvious, but there’s actually a connection between oral hygiene and heart health. Keep your teeth and gums super healthy so your heart doesn’t have to work in overtime!

3) Eat heart healthy foods! Try out a whole rainbow of fresh fruits and vegetables, and look for natural foods high in fiber like beans and nuts, or high in Omega-3s like fish. Avoid saturated fats and high sodium!

Learning how to prepare food at home is a great way to learn the ins and outs of heart health. This weekend, the Thinkery will be having two workshops all about heart healthy cooking! In our Heart Healthy Cooking Family Workshops, we will make heart healthy recipes that will pump you full of nutrition and flavor!

Treat yourself in the best way possible this Valentine’s by being good to your heart!