We did it! YOU did it. Congratulations to everyone who met us at the starting line twelve weeks ago and have now crossed their personal finish lines. Participants set a goal, set a plan, interacted with their supportive community, and are now celebrating themselves and each other. This season, we welcomed all modes of movement for a commitment to stick with us for the twelve weeks with hopes the regular movement becomes more than a habit, it becomes a lifestyle. The community doesn’t end here, we will stay connected and cheer on each other as we continue to stay active and challenge ourselves until it is time again to come together for another Heart to Start season. For more information about Heart to Start, visit: hearttostart.org

Last year, Donna joined our program for the very first time and in a virtual setting. We've invited her to share the experience being in Spokane, Washington, finding the motivation to stick to the training and to complete her goal. We learn why the goal was important to her and how she created her personal celebration following crossing her 5K finish line; tips to finding the desire to celebrate without a large community celebration. For more information on the Heart to Start program, visit here: hearttostart.org

As we reach Week 12 in our training, we offer an important conversation around reaching your intended goal. Joining us again is Elliott Waksman; if you recall he offered insight on mindset and setting goals during Week 1. Now that we are at the end of this training plan, he helps us set our sights on new goals and how to finish strong and successfully with this current one. As we are virtual, Elliott also maps out what a celebration might look like for your self - how to make it special and something to look forward to.  For more information on the Heart to Start program, visit here: hearttostart.org

February is National Heart Month and we are sharing stories of Heart to Start participants who've experienced their own heart events and steps taken to overcome the unthinkable as they return to their active lifestyles. Nancy made the choice to gift herself time for health and discovered a passion for running, in what seemed to be a peak of her fitness while participating in a marathon she experienced a heart attack. Listen as she shares her path back to regular movement and rebuilding trust within herself. 

February is National Heart Month and we are sharing stories of Heart to Start participants who've experienced their own heart events and steps taken to overcome the unthinkable as they return to their active lifestyles. Anthony has taken the perspective of celebrating all the possibilities and even expanding his hobbies to include more community-centered opportunities for both encouragement and accountability.

As we continue the conversation around healing it forward and supporting our communities, we've invited Katie O'Brien, Executive Director for Rose Haven, a local day shelter for women located in Portland, OR. She offers her perspective on the importance of volunteerism as it relates to supporting organizations that ultimately offer support to individuals living within our communities. And, how such support can come in many forms based on what a person is able to give - time, item donations, monetary donations, services, etc. Our community story connects the dots with volunteerism and a lovely participant, Akiko. She shares the social and emotional benefits experienced through her own volunteering and engagement with our program.  For more information on Heart to Start, visit: heartostart.org

Did you know that volunteering can help reduce your risk of high blood pressure, depression, and chronic pain? Research shows that people who give back to their community experience better overall health, greater life satisfaction, and ability to manage their own chronic illnesses. Healing it forward makes your community healthier - and doing good always comes back to support you, too. This week we hear from Brittn Grey, someone lucky enough to have a day job centered around this very idea of volunteerism and helping our communities. We learn why businesses are adding volunteerism to their employee wellness programming and the benefits of doing so. 

Using our knowledge Dr. Thurman offered around the benefits of exercise on our mental and emotional health, we are sharing the story of Mindy, a long-time participant who is one of the amazing healthcare workers who've been on the front lines with the pandemic. Mindy is an RN working with some of our most vulnerable patients within behavioral health. She shares how exercise plays an important role in her own mental health so that she can be her best self to her patients, family, and her own self. 

Most often our main reason for choosing to exercise regularly is for physical health - lowered risk factors, reduced chance for heart disease, weight management - for example. How often do you consider your exercise being a benefit to your mental and emotional well-being? Dr. Kristen Thurman, a behavioral health provider and a current psychologist resident helps us understand the connection between exercise and mental health. For more information and to register for the program go to hearttostart.org.

Continuing our focus on nutrition this week, we expand on our previous episode of nutrition basics and look to more specific scenarios for athletes and/or those following a training plan that may expend more energy and thus require more energy in the form of healthy foods. Registered dietitian, Niki Strealy, offers great insight into this topic and also dives into the idea of digestive health. Our participant spotlight takes us across the nation to Pennsylvania where we visit with Lainie and hear her story of connecting with a community she's never met, her personal success and also her approach to nutrition and time management with a demanding life schedule.