February: Much more than just Cupid’s month

February is typically a month that is either dreaded by some or looked forward to by others. It is most commonly known as the month of love; however, did you know there is much more to be recognized during the month of February? 

During February, I will be focusing on a few different things, but for now we will be focusing on heart health awareness and how we can stay fit and focus on physical and cardiac health while staying on campus. 

Aside from just maintaining a healthy and balanced diet, physical exercise is necessary for not only physical health but also mental health as well. As students, we all know how stressful school and the workload that comes with our classes can be. Exercise is a great way to take a break from the workload and reset your mind. While you’re relieving stress through exercise, you’re also doing your overall health a favor! 

Any kind of exercise has major benefits to your overall cardiac health. According to Hopkins Medicine, “being physically active is a major step toward good heart health. It’s one of your most effective tools for strengthening the heart muscle, keeping your weight under control and warding off the artery damage from high cholesterol, high blood sugar, and high blood pressure that can lead to heart attack or stroke.”

When people hear that they need to exercise to focus on heart health, they instantly think of an hour or more of intense cardio, like running as hard as you can for as long as you can, but this is not true! There are many less strenuous ways to exercise that include cardio, so you can find something that you actually enjoy doing! You don’t have to just run or be on the stair climber for an hour; you can also bike, swim, do yoga and participate in team sports such as tennis or volleyball. 

It can be hard to start, especially when you don’t really know how to go about exercising. Thankfully, the Brewer Center on campus offers different monthly group fitness classes (for free!) that are guided – all you have to do is show up and follow along. For more information, including the schedule of these classes, visit BucNation. Entry into the Brewer Center for use of facilities is free, just be sure to show your valid CSU ID at the front desk. For information on Brewer Center hours, visit the CSU website, head to the Life on Campus tab and click on Campus Recreation. 

Zanelle Willemse is a senior communication major and is a spring 2023 intern with the Office of Marketing & Communication.

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