After more than 18 months into this pandemic, Americans feel overwhelmed and stressed, which negatively impacts cardiovascular health. This February, we are uniting for American Heart Month to help Reclaim Your Rhythm to live longer, healthier, fuller lives. Because losing even one mom, brother, friend or neighbor to cardiovascular disease is too many.

CONGRATULATIONS to Beth Smith for being named the December Wellness Champion. She deserves a round of applause.

Winter is upon us. Make sure you stretch before shoveling snow. Amy Myers, from ATI, recommends 3 quick stretches for your core, quadriceps and hamstrings to reduce back pain and muscle aches. Be safe out there!

February is American Heart Month, a time to raise awareness about the risk for heart disease. My Life Check is an interactive online tool developed by the American Heart Association that helps people assess and track their heart health information and gain a better understanding of their risk of heart disease and stroke.

Are you at risk for Prediabetes? Find out in this 4-minute virtual wellness class, you’ll learn what prediabetes is, if you’re at risk and what to do to reduce your risk of getting type 2 diabetes. Watch it HERE.

February is national age related macular degeneration (AMD) and low vision awareness month. AMD is the leading cause of low vision and blindness in Americans age 60 years and older and affects 1.6 million Americans. AMD is a progressive disease with no known cure. It slowly steals vision as it affects the retina, a paper-thin tissue lining the back of the eye, and causes the cells in the area to die. As a result, if you have AMD, you see blind spots, grayness and other distortions in the center frame of your vision.

Due to COVID-19, face masks have been a part of our lives for nearly two years. And, with the highly transmissible Omicron variant circulating widely, masks are just as important as ever.

In January, we switch to new calendars and embrace a new year. For many, it's a good time to evaluate your physical and mental health and reflect on the changes you want to make in the coming year.

January is Cervical Health Awareness Month. More than 14,000 women in the United States are diagnosed with invasive cervical cancer each year, but the disease is preventable with vaccination and appropriate screening. Take these steps and learn more at the National Cervical Cancer Coalition.

As we head into 2022, most of us begin turning our attention to ways we can improve our lives. While resolutions often center on developing new habits that will get us into better physical shape - eating better and getting more physically active - reducing stress and getting into better mental and emotional shape can provide huge rewards.

During the holidays, many tend to put on a few pounds. Act early this holiday season to avoid that holiday weight gain. Consider meeting with a Health Coach. Learn more HERE.

CONGRATULATIONS to Tye Baker and Charisse Simpson for being named the October and November Wellness Champions, respectively.

The holidays can bring joy, but it’s not uncommon to experience stress, depression and anxiety as well. The demands of the season — shopping and running errands while battling crowds, back-to-back holiday parties and social obligations, houseguests and relatives — are all potential stressors. Alongside this, feelings of loneliness and isolation are also common around the holiday.

We often wish people a happy, healthy holiday season, but rarely give gifts that support the sentiment. As the new year approaches and resolutions are made the following gift ideas will help recipients maintain those promises of developing healthier lifestyle habits.

National Influenza Vaccination Week (NIVW) is a national awareness week focused on highlighting the importance of influenza vaccination. It is to remind individuals 6 months and older that there’s still time to get vaccinated against flu. Vaccination is particularly important for people who are at higher risk of developing serious flu complications, including people with certain chronic conditions such as asthma, diabetes, and heart disease. In fact, in past flu seasons, 9 out of 10 adults hospitalized for flu had at least one underlying medical condition.