Three Rounds to Strengthen Your Heart

 Your heart is a muscle. Do your reps to build strength.

Let's talk about three rounds we all have to do to keep our hearts strong.

As a wellness and fitness coach who teaches mindset, nutrition, and fitness, I believe and teach that you must start with your own love for yourself before you nurture relationships with others. So, let's build two sessions: Session one is love through self-care. Session two is love through relationships with others.

Session one: Love through self-care.

We will have three rounds with fun sets! Let's go!

Round 1. Mindfulness. Love yourself.

• Set 1. Morning Mirror Exercise: Look at yourself in the mirror and say, "I love you," ten times. Give grace to yourself if it feels hard at the beginning.
• Set 2. Afternoon Calm: Quiet your mind throughout the day. Practice mindful awareness of your senses (sight, sound, touch, smell, taste). In the upcoming members training on February 28th, 3:30 PM CST, we will be covering these essential tools. 
• Set 3. Evening Gratitude Journaling: Before bed, journal about things you are grateful for. I use "My Power Journal".

Round 2. Nutrition and Food.

• Set 1. Lower salt and sugar consumption. Check out the DASH (Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension) diet. In the last 5 years, it has been the most recommended way of eating to reduce the risk of heart disease. According to this diet, we focus on keeping sodium between 2,300 to 1,500 mg a day and sugar at no more than 2 tablespoons a day.
• Set 2. Eat greens daily. Greens deliver potassium, calcium, magnesium, and vitamin K, essential for heart health.

And of course, there is more such as Omegas (fish oil), fiber, protein, coenzyme Q10, and resveratrol.

Round 3. Fitness! Exercise expands blood vessels so they, including the heart, don't have to work so hard while pumping blood.

• Walk. Do your workouts. It is recommended to have 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity physical activity. Moderate means you do a daily routine plus walk from 1 to 3 miles 5 days a week.
• Breathe. Allow your organs, including the heart, to slow down, expand, circulate blood, and oxygen fully.

Session two: Love through relationships with others.

• Set 1. Oxytocin Hugs. Relationships. According to studies, people who have deep meaningful partnerships live longer than those who have none. In fact, with quality relationships, we produce oxytocin (long-term happiness) hormone. Here is a short video on what the longest-running study on happiness at Harvard University found was most important. You guessed it, quality relationships. 
• Set 2. Write thank you cards by hand. Writing thank you cards by hand is a powerful way to express your love and appreciation.
  • Find a few minutes each day to write a heartfelt note to someone you cherish.
  • Focus on expressing your sincere gratitude for their presence in your life.
  • Hand-deliver the card if possible, or mail it with a personal touch.

  You'll be surprised at the positive impact it can have on both you and the recipient. 

   

  Summary:

  Today, we explored three rounds for your heart, focusing on self-care, nutrition, and fitness, all aimed at cultivating self-love. We then delved into the importance of nurturing relationships with others through acts of kindness, such as giving hugs and writing heartfelt cards.

   

  Call to Action:

  • Choose one action from today's message to implement.
  • Let me know which action you've chosen.
  • If you'd like to receive a few free cards to write and spread some love, simply reply to this email.  

     

    I'm excited to hear about your journey towards a healthier, happier heart.