Welcome to February, the designated heart health month. We all know it’s important. We all know the basics when it comes to lifestyle for a healthy heart. Why, then, is heart health still the top healthcare issue in our nation? Sometimes knowledge is only as powerful as our willingness to use it. The answer is in our willingness. Little to no willingness results in little to no results. So, how can we force ourselves to improve our willingness? There is not a simple answer for everyone. However, here are some thoughts that may help if you need a push to consistently keep exercise in your life and put your heart in the right place.

First and foremost, does improving and maintaining heart health align with your values? If so, exercise will be part of the process. If your initial answer is “no”, then it’s time to go back even further in your own experiences to see why having a healthy heart is not valuable to you. Taking time to think about why or why not a healthy heart aligns with your values is something that can’t be covered in a brief blog. For those that are ready to push forward, let’s carry on. It’s natural to want your lifestyle to align with your values to create happiness. For example, having a job is part of reaching the goal of financial security. Finding a job that aligns with your personal values will create motivation and more joy while working toward the goal, which brings us to the next step.

Once you realize the goal of a healthy heart is valuable to you, the next step to consistent exercise is eliminating any anxiety you may have toward it. Motivation to act on something ultimately comes from within. This type of motivation doesn’t mean you need to be excited about exercise. It doesn’t mean you need to “Just Do It” and adhere to the fitness industry’s ideal fitness routines seen in ads. It means that the act of exercising must align with your values and make you feel good about yourself. Good emotional feelings toward exercise, alone, won’t radically improve heart health. It does take action. Eliminate those second thoughts about your ability to add and keep exercise in your life. Your level of self-efficacy is what matters. Maybe you find external sources (a personal trainer, a workout partner/group, family members, or even the Pointe Fitness blog) that boost your belief in your ability.

Once you take action, the most difficult part is to maintain and be consistent. To stay on track, ask yourself these questions regularly and adjust as needed.

• Am I still making exercise a priority?
• Is my exercise routine enjoyable (there is always another way)?
• Do I notice any measurable results (clothes fitting differently, body weight, blood pressure, etc. and use them as motivation)?
• Am I anticipating any upcoming barriers to exercise (plan ahead)?
• Am I worth the “trouble” of regular exercise (if the answer is anything but “yes”, it’s time to dig deeper into the reasons why)?

If you value heart health, believe in yourself and adjust as needed, you will succeed in allowing exercise to help bring your heart to the right place.