Lorina Marshall-Blake and the IBX Foundation team wearing red in support of American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women campaign.
Like many people, some days I’m so busy, it seems I barely have time to breathe. But every day, I take 15 minutes just for myself to walk one mile on the treadmill.
It may not sound like much, but I get a tremendous sense of accomplishment because I know I’m doing something healthy for my heart! There’s something else I do as often as I can that makes my heart happy: I volunteer with our Blue Crew.
It doesn’t require hours of your time, but volunteering makes a world of difference in the lives of the people you serve. No matter how much time I give — whether it’s one hour or a full day — I get back so much more.
Best of all, when we do good for others as volunteers, we also do good for our mind, body, and spirit. I encourage you to look for ways to volunteer through your workplace, school, or church, or find opportunities to share your time and talent through the United Way.
Get Heart Healthy
I know from personal experience that few things are more precious than our health. It’s something Independence Blue Cross recognizes every February during Heart Health Month and all year long in the communities we serve.
We proudly support the Philadelphia American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women campaign to empower women to reduce their risks for heart disease and stroke.
I am personally honored to serve on the Philadelphia American Heart Association’s diversity leadership committee to promote awareness and education in our region — something that’s especially important in our African-American and Hispanic communities, where there’s a higher risk for heart disease and stroke.
Help the Beat Go On
The earlier we can get children and young adults to adopt a healthy lifestyle, the better. Our Independence Blue Cross Foundation Healthy Hearts initiative supports programs to increase access to free heart screenings and education for children and their families.
The Foundation also funds programs offering free CPR and automated external defibrillator (AED) training to help prevent deaths from sudden cardiac arrest, which can happen to anyone at any time.
If you’ve never taken hands-only CPR training, or it’s been a while since you have, learn how to save a life by finding a Mobile CPR Project training event near you. Take it from me, learning hands-only CPR is fast, fun, and gets your own heart pumping!
Keep Your Heart Strong
Exercising regularly is just one way to keep your heart strong. The American Heart Association offers lots of great tips for staying heart healthy at any age. I plan to keep walking every day so I can continue doing all the things I love, like giving back as a Blue Crew volunteer, for many years to come!
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