By Kylee Carpenter
Campus health student leader
February is the month of love. Many of us have a special someone we’re excited to share our gratitude with, while others take time to appreciate the friends who’ve stuck by us through it all. I know I use this season to practice a little self-love, too.
So where does all this love come from? The heart!
American Heart Month is the perfect time to give your most hardworking muscle a little extra love. All month long, the GCU Health and Wellness Clinic is cheering you on to learn, take action and celebrate heart health.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States for adults across most ages, genders and racial or ethnic groups. About 1 in 5 deaths in the U.S are related to heart disease, according to 2025 statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
I have good news, though – small and consistent habits can make all the difference. Here’s how you can keep your heart beating strong and keep it fun all the while.
Get Your Heart Pumping: Aim for about 150 minutes of moderate physical activity each week. This can easily be accomplished by a brisk walk around campus on a lunch break or dancing your heart out to your favorite songs
Eat for Your Heart: Fuel your body with more fruits, veggies, whole grains and lean proteins. Heart-healthy eating doesn’t mean giving up dessert either!! Some of my favorite options to try are peach bread pudding, oatmeal raisin walnut cookies and/or blackberry lemon-drop cupcakes.
Know Your Digits Before You Get Some Digits: High blood pressure and high cholesterol are major risk factors for heart disease, and nearly half of U.S. adults have high blood pressure. Staying on top of routine checkups and keeping open communication with your providers can truly save your life.
Don’t Wanna Kiss A Smoker: Tobacco use damages your heart and blood vessels. Quitting isn’t easy. Changing habits, especially old ones, takes time – but it will be one of the most powerful steps towards protecting your heart and overall health.
Million Hearts and the ABCS: The national Million Hearts initiative highlights four simple steps to protect your heart. Think the ABCS:
- A: Aspirin when appropriate (talk to your clinician)
- B: Blood pressure control
- C: Cholesterol management
- S: Smoking cessation
These simple actions are powerful tools in preventing heart attacks and strokes.
Celebrate & Get Involved!: Here are a few events and initiatives to consider:
- Heart Felt Fun Run: Join the Campus Health student leadership team to support heart health at its Heart Felt Fun Run at 9 a.m. Feb. 28 on Halo Field! For updates and details, follow us on our Instagram @gcucampushealth.
- National Wear Red Day: Wear your best red outfit on the first Friday of February – that's this Friday – to raise awareness for heart health and support Women’s Heart Health.
- Heart Health Challenges: Gather friends, classmates or coworkers and set weekly movement goals. Even 15 minutes a day counts!
- Share the Love: Snap a pic doing a heart-healthy activity and tag it @GCUCampusHealth on Instagram to spread inspiration.
References
American Heart Association. (2024).Desserts.
American Heart Association. (2025). M O N T H H E A R T CHALLENGE A M E R I C A N.
CDC. (2022, February 1). Focusing on Health Equity | Million Hearts®. Centers for Disease
CDC. (2025, July 10). American Heart Month Communications Toolkit. Heart Disease.
