February is a busy month for celebrations and historical occasions. From Valentine’s Day to President George Washington’s birthday, and even Groundhog Day, February is a bustling month.
An important educational observance during February is the American Heart Association’s (AHA) Heart Month. The tradition, which began in 1964 with a proclamation from President Lyndon B. Johnson, has been celebrated for more than 60 years. The goal is to raise awareness of heart disease and cardiac anomalies which plague millions of Americans, while recognizing the efforts of clinicians who work to treat and prevent the disease.
The AHA’s educational efforts encompass comprehensive directives on how to keep your heart healthy with reminders on the importance of physical activity and good nutrition. A few of those AHA general directives include:
Eat Healthy Foods: Eat a variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products. Limit foods high in sugar, sodium, and saturated fat.
Be Physically Active: Attain at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity each week.
Attain Regular Medical Checkups: Get your blood pressure and cholesterol checked regularly to keep them in healthy range.
Comparably, Harvard Health advises: Limiting Alcohol (no more than one drink per day for women, and two drinks or less per day for men).
Maintaining a Healthy Body Mass Index (BMI). BMI is the measure of body fat based on height and weight. Accordingly, BMI calculations should fall in the range of 18.5 to 24.9.
No Smoking: If you smoke, make it a priority to quit, as smoking increases the risk of heart disease.
Heart health is a serious focus within the Osceola Council on Aging’s health clinic. Since our clients’ ages range from 40-65 years our clinic treats, on average, 120-150 patients per month, many of whom are suffering from high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol levels, leading risk factors for heart disease and stroke.
So, besides AHA’s Heart Month, historical birthdays, and Groundhog Day folklore, what other commemorations, celebrations and traditions surround February?
A fun fact is February is one of the most misspelled words in the entire English language (who knew?). Abraham Lincoln’s birthday is celebrated on Feb. 12, with Susan B. Anthony’s birthday, an American women’s rights activist who played a dominant role in the women’s suffrage movements, only a couple of days later, on the 15th of the month.
Feb. 21 is Presidents’ Day, a federal holiday also known as (George) Washington’s Birthday. Another celebratory observance includes Black History Month, a time when the contributions and achievements of African Americans are celebrated.
Though one of the OCOA’ s most important observances in February is National Senior Independence Month. Throughout the month, we not only celebrate our seniors’ independence, but we work to support their autonomy. Our social service initiatives to support their independence include affordable residential housing, nutrition, and supplemental initiatives such as transportation, utilities, energy services, and rental assistance.
Finally, one final event to round out the month of February is our Enchanted Gala! Scheduled for Feb. 22 at the BEV Event Center, 700 Generation Point, in Kissimmee, the event will start at 6 pm. For tickets, click on https://osceolagenerations.org/enchanted-gala/.
With historical birthdays, upcoming Valentine’s Day engagements, fundraisers, activities, commemorations, remembrances and curious folklore, the month of February has a variety of important observances, but for the hundreds of individuals who work at the Council on Aging, most of all we celebrate our seniors, their health, happiness, and independence.
