Your heart is an incredible machine. Every day, it beats about 100,000 times to pump blood through your body—that’s about 2½ billion times in 70 years! Humans cannot live without the oxygen our blood provides, so it’s incredibly important to have a healthy heart.

Thanks to Valentine’s Day, you’re going to see a lot of hearts this month. Every time you see one, let it be a reminder that February is also Heart Health Month. When is the last time you’ve stopped to think about that powerful, lifegiving machine that beats inside your chest? Here’s some advice from the American Heart Association that you should take to heart.

Don’t make your heart wait

Do you know what the best heart problem is? The one that never happens! When heart muscle dies, it never grows back—so it’s very important to make sure you’re doing everything you can right now to prevent heart disease. You can go a long way toward avoiding future heart problems by making healthy changes today. Best of all, the same lifestyle changes that keep your heart strong also reduce your risk for other diseases. 

Know your numbers

Even if you haven’t experienced an emergency with your heart, you shouldn’t forget about it! Visit your doctor on a regular basis so he or she can listen to your heart and do any other tests that may be necessary to make sure your heart is as healthy as it can be. Be sure to talk with your doctor about your blood pressure and body mass index (BMI). Blood pressure higher than 120/80 and a BMI of 25 or higher are both linked to increased risk for heart disease and stroke. Learn more about BMI.

Stand up for your health

The more you sit, the higher your risk for heart problems. If you work in a job where you sit a lot, set a reminder on your phone to get up and move once an hour. When possible, stand up to do your work. At home, try standing when you’d usually sit, like when you’re watching TV, playing a videogame or talking on the phone.

Get the facts on fats

Some fats are healthier than others. Unsaturated fats like olive oil and avocado are superfoods that you should include regularly in your diet. On the other hand, you should limit saturated fats like butter—and avoid trans fats altogether. Learn more about healthy and unhealthy fats.

Get your heart pumping

We care about you and want you to live a long, healthy life with a strong heart! That’s why we’ve partnered with our carriers to offer gym membership discounts to the entire CoolSys family. If you are an Anthem medical plan member, click here. If you are a Kaiser plan member, click here.

It’s Cool 2 be fit!

In addition to offering gym discounts, CoolSys will be rolling out our first fitness challenge in March. Watch for more information about how you can win some “Cool” raffle prizes!

One more way to make your heart happy …

How about saving some money? A new addition to the CoolSys benefits page is Mylo, a tool that helps you research home and auto insurance rates. Check it out.