Today Is National Wear RED Day® for Heart Month

February 3, 2023 / Get Well

February is American Heart Month, a time to focus on and raise awareness about cardiovascular health. The simple truth is that while genetic factors do play a part, you can significantly lower your risk for heart disease and associated concerns through education,  healthy lifestyle changes and, in some cases, prescription medicine.

Raise your awareness and add heart-protecting practices to your routine. Consider the following:

  • Health Promotion. Rock your Red. Wear Red Today!
    • Today is National Wear Red Day as part of the American Heart Association’s (AHA) Go Red for Women initiative. Join the AHA and other health and wellness advocates in their efforts to raise awareness and support for the fight against heart disease. Let’s all stand together with Go Red and take charge of our heart health; and the health of those we can’t bear to live without.
  • Get Moving on Wear Red Day!
    • Together, let’s get #OurHearts pumping! Participate in 25 minutes of heart-pumping activities with The Heart Truth; the NIH Fitness Center and National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI). Join the fun here today at noon for a virtual sampling of aerobic exercises including kickboxing, dance and stretches.
  • Be ready to respond in an emergency. 
    • Click on the Medical” tab on NOVA’s Office of Emergency Management and Safety  (OEMS) page to review emergency procedures for events that may happen at NOVA. Please reference NOVA’s Emergency Action Plan (EAP) for detailed information.
    • The previously-advertised CPR and Stop the Bleed Training is now full, but watch for additional classes to be announced from OEMS soon.
    •  *Classes are also available from:

 *Recommendations for external providers are not an endorsement. You are encouraged to do your own research in selecting a company for these services. 

  • Know Your Numbers. Check out the video and keep an eye out for future Heart Health Daily Flyer messages throughout the month.
  • Get Heart Smart!
    • Read this fact sheet for definitions of common heart-related terms, numbers you should know and questions to ask your healthcare provider to help keep your heart healthy. 
    • Know the Warning Signs and Symptoms of a heart attack.
    • Join here at noon on Friday, February 17 with experts from the NHLBI’s, the Heart Truth® program and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Million Hearts® initiative for a dialogue about what Americans should know to keep their hearts healthy. 
  • Practice Self-Care for Your Heart
    • Self-care is heart-healthy living. This fact sheet provides an overview of what self-care for your heart means. It also offers ideas on how to make your heart health part of your self-care routine and its benefits.
    • Making the time! Really, how do I fit it in? Integrative Nutrition Health Coach Dr. Cori Cooper joins @KevOnStage to talk about time management! Dr. Cooper provides tips on making more time in your daily life to live a healthier lifestyle.

National Wear Red Day Poster:  Rock Your Red, NOVA. Show # our heart on friday, feb. 3. Three simple steps: 1. wear something red; 2. take a picture. 3. share. Share for a NOVA collage to employeewellbeing at nvcc dot edu by cob feb. 3. Inset: American Heart Association "Wear red day" logo with red scarf, tie, pants, shirt, hat heart.

Submitted by:
Dahlia Henry-Tett, HR-Chief Wellness Officer, dhtett@nvcc.edu