28 Days to a Healthier Heart -- February Heart Month

The numbers are scary. Heart disease and stroke kill one in every 3.7 men, and one in every 2.4 women, making cardiovascular disease the nation's number one killer and leading President Bush to declare February as American Heart Month.

The American Heart Association is challenging every American to create a culture of physical activity and health and there is no better time to get started than American Heart Month, says Fitness Expert and Performance Coach David Berger.

Set weekly goals that will help you meet the American Heart Association challenge of becoming more physically active and healthy. By making a commitment to yourself, you can become the "number one me" you have always wanted.

"Every one of us has the opportunity to achieve a healthier heart, mind and body," Berger said. "You just need to make a commitment to yourself and you can start with just 10 minutes each day."

Focus on achieving just one heart-healthy goal per week during American Heart Month, Berger said, and by month's end you will be much closer to becoming the "number one me" you have always wanted. Berger offered the following suggestions for weekly heart-healthy goals:

Week 1: Focus on your "Po-TEN-Tial".

Po-TEN-Tial is your Power Of TEN To Increase Active Living! Your goal is to make each one of your days an opportunity for progress by committing to 10 Minutes of any full-body activity (walking, jogging, skipping, stair climbing, or calisthenics-like Number One ME). Make the simple goal of ten-minutes of activity as synonymous with your day as brushing your teeth. You Can Do 10!

Week 2: Hold The Cheese.

One of the easiest ways to slash the artery clogging saturated fats in your diet is to Just Say No to Cheese! Omit the fatty stuff on all of your soups, salads, and sandwiches. Order your next pizza with only half the normal portion of cheese and at home use grated Parmesan only as needed.

Week 3: Pass on the Salt.

Take the advice of the Surgeon General, the American Heart Association, the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, and the more the half of Americans over age 60 affected with high blood-pressure or hypertension - Cut Back and Cut Out Salt in Your Diet! Make your own soups or buy lower sodium soups (soup makers tend to over-indulge us on the white stuff) and don't add salt to anything!

Week 4: LOL

Laugh-Out-Loud- The 80-muscles in your face are some of the most under-used muscles in the country. Laughing and smiling more often can be a part of your positive revolution. According to Steve Sultanoff, PhD, the president of the American Association of Therapeutic Humor, "Laughter can both change how you feel physically and affect your biochemistry." He says that you can not experience humor and feel depressed. This story is guaranteed to bring a smile: A lady was picking through the frozen turkeys at the grocery store, but couldn't find one big enough for her family. She asked the stock boy, "Do these turkeys get any bigger?" The stock boy answered, "No ma'am, they're dead."