Nurse Alice: Get Healthy, Go Red Get Fit!

Are you ready to put some pep in your step?

The American Heart Association and Macy’s are! The two have teamed up for another year of Go Red Get Fit, an online fitness challenge for women, proven to motivate participants to make transformational lifestyle changes through its quarterly health and fitness challenges.  This spring from March to May, participants are challenged to “Pep Your Step for Good” by logging 10,000 steps a day, getting their cholesterol checked, talking with their healthcare providers about what the numbers mean and following the challenge to help lower and maintain healthy numbers.

Heart disease is the number one killer for all Americans, and stroke is also a leading cause of death. Every year, 1 in 3 women dies of heart disease and stroke – affecting African American and Hispanic women at greater rates. Understanding the risks and taking simple steps to address these preventable conditions is vital to changing the health narrative for women of color.

I bet you’re reluctantly saying to yourself, “Nurse Alice, you want me to be more active with the help of an online health campaign???”

YES!!! And here’s why….

The engagement of participants from online social media communities has been shown to be the social support needed to help others feel accountable for their health and to have fun. It provides a family oriented, sisterhood-like atmosphere that is easily accessible 24/7 365 and at the touch of button.  Participants share recipes, post videos and photos that celebrate goals and inspire one another. The daily engagement and positivity helps keep healthy living on your mind.

The quarterly health and fitness goals will be led by popular celebrity fitness trainers Scott Parker and fitness mentor Lisa Morales. Here’s their 1st quarter fitness challenge invite especially for you: [watch video]

And the party won’t stop after this. The fitness challenge will stay strong throughout the year with these challenges to look forward to:

• Glisten Up and Get Lean” (July – September): Get 3 days of strength and resistance training exercises as part of your 150 minutes per week (or 30 minutes, 5 days per week) of exercise and eat healthy sources of protein like more lean meat and nuts, less red meat.

• “It Takes Two to Tango” (October – December): Get 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity (30 minutes a day, 5 days per week) and focus on reading and understanding food labels.

• “She Got Moves” (January – March): Select from any of the previous physical activity quarterly challenges, 150 minutes per week (or 30 minutes, 5 days per week), and make a weekly meal plan to keep meals healthy, balanced and well proportioned.

So what’s your why?  Why should you Go Red and Get Fit with this online fitness challenge?  Other than America’s favorite nurse thinks it’s a great idea, you probably want to live a happier and healthier life?  Or you want to feel better physically, mentally and emotionally? Or perhaps you want to live a long life to see your children graduate from school and get married?  Whatever your why is, you deserve a happier and healthier life. Life is why.

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Nurse Alice is a nationally board-certified and award-winning cardiac clinical nurse specialist with nearly two decades of experience in cardiovascular health. She is a community health activist and freelance media health expert. She has appeared on various national radio and TV shows including Dr. Oz, The Doctors, Dr. Drew, News One with Roland Martin, Tom Joyner Morning Show and more. She is also the author of “Curb Your Cravings: 31 Foods to Fool Your Appetite.”

You can follow her at AskNurseAlice.com and on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @AskNurseAlice

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