March 21, 2025

Here are eight ways exercise helps your heart

By Sarah Hanson, Bē Health and Well-Being® Navigator

You’ve probably heard it until you’re blue in the face: proper diet and exercise are keys to leading a healthy life. But it’s fact. Exercise keeps your heart healthy, lowers your risk of diabetes and stroke, helps prevent osteoporosis and arthritis and reduces stress.

Coming off Heart Health Awareness Month, I encourage you to keep your heart’s health in mind all year round. The American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate to intense physical activity each week. This can sound daunting to many people, but you can take it literally one step at a time.

I suggest starting by setting realistic goals. For example, the first week try to limit processed foods and increase your movement by 10 to 20 percent. You don’t have to run a marathon or go on a crash diet. They key is to get moving. Bē Health can help with that. We offer weekly fitness classes including yoga and Hike the Hill to get your body moving. You can see our current schedule on the Bē Health app. Don’t have the app? Download it on the Apple or Google Play stores. Be sure to enter the code: Heartwood1804 to get all the perks of being a resident.

Here are eight ways exercise helps your heart:

1. Reduces your risk of getting heart disease and can help prevent existing heart disease from getting worse.
2. Lowers your risk of getting high blood pressure.
3. Lowers blood pressure in some people who already have high blood pressure.
4. Raises your high-density lipoprotein (HDL), known as the “healthy” cholesterol that we want to keep “high.”
5. Lowers your low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or the “lousy” cholesterol that we want to keep “low.”
6. Lowers the amount of triglycerides, a form of sugar, in your bloodstream.
7. Helps you lose extra weight, which can strain the heart
8. Makes your heart and lungs work more efficiently.

If you need help getting started all you need to do is reach out as I am happy to help. If you have any questions or need assistance scheduling a fitness class, email me at hansons@sjchs.org or call 912-675-0524.

Complementary health screening available for Heartwood residents on March 18 ☘️

St. Joseph’s/Candler’s Bē Health and Well-Being® program is offering Heartwood residents 18 years and older a complimentary health screening on Tuesday, March 18.

• From 7 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. on Tuesday, March 18, you can sign up for a quick and easy assessment to learn important health information including your blood pressure, total cholesterol (HDL, LDL and triglycerides), A1C and glucose and body mass index. Knowing these numbers can help identify those at high risk for heart disease, prediabetes and diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and obesity.

You can make an appointment for upcoming health screenings on the Bē Health app. Look for the Bē Health Navigator pink box in the Your Health tab on the app to see available appointment times. Don’t have the app? Download it on the Apple or Google Play stores. Be sure to enter the code: Heartwood1804 to get all the perks of being a resident.

During this assessment, you will meet with the Bē Health navigator to measure your height, weight, have your blood pressure checked and blood work drawn. Please fast for at least 10 to 12 hours prior to your appointment. You will get your results at that same appointment, and you and the Bē Health Navigator can discuss those or set up a complementary visit to review your information. You can also take your results to your primary care provider.