Tuscaloosa “Heart Walk” Saturday
Take a walk for your heart's sake Saturday morning. The American Heart Association is conducting its 2024 Tuscaloosa "Heart Walk" beginning at 9:00 tomorrow morning at Government Plaza behind Tuscaloosa City Hall Downtown. Check-in begins at 8:00am. The walk is not taxing, the route will begin downtown, proceed to the Tuscaloosa Riverwalk and back to government plaza. The length is just 3.1 miles.
It is a new location for the walk this year with the same goals, remembering those who we lost due to heart disease and stroke, honoring the survivors and raising money for research to fight heart disease.
According to American Heart Association's Whitney Moulton, "It's never been a better time to find new ways to boost physical and emotional health. Joining the Heart Walk is a great way to socially connect and get moving - all while making a great impact in our community and saving lives. When you register, you're helping save more babies and kids who have congenital heart defects, train thousands in life-saving CPR, fund groundbreaking brain and heart research and champion health equity for all."
Moulton says, "More than half of US adults don't know that heart disease is the leading cause of death, according to the American Heart Association. That's concerning news, because many of those deaths are preventable.
Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control show, in some cases, someone's first clue that they have heart disease is experiencing a heart attack. Symptoms of a heart attack, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, include chest pain or discomfort, weakness or light-headedness, nausea, cold sweating, pain in the shoulder and shortness of breath. Women may be more likely to experience less obvious symptoms during a heart attack, like pain in the jaw or back, so don't dismiss your symptoms if you think there's a possibility of heart attack.
Because the symptoms of heart disease vary so much and may not be present at all, the best course of action is to focus on prevention, get regular screenings and talk with a doctor immediately about any concerns.
Tomorrow's walk will last only about 90 minutes, but the short time and distance will go a long way to fighting heart disease.