American Heart Month is observed in February each year as a time to motivate Americans to make choices that help them stay healthy and active to prevent heart disease. More than 600,000 Americans die each year from heart disease, and it can affect all ages, genders and ethnicities.

The Birmingham branch of the American Heart Association (AHA) is celebrating American Heart Month with the #WatchMe campaign on social media geared toward inspiring people to live fiercely and take charge of their heart health by sharing their “watch me” moments. To participate, social media users can post photos of themselves doing things like taking a walk, run or bike ride, making healthy food choices, drinking more water, meditating, etc., and caption the post with #WatchMe.

“Our world is different than it was a year ago and it will keep changing,” said Lizzi Willicott, executive director of the Birmingham AHA. “American Heart Month is an ideal time to take the challenges we are facing and turn them into opportunities. We want to remind our communities to focus on their hearts and encourage them to get their families, friends and communities involved as well.”

National Wear Red Day, held the first Friday of each February, is the kickoff for American Heart Month and has been promoted by the AHA nationwide through the “Go Red for Women” campaign for the past 17 years. It’s a day to spread awareness of the particular risk of heart disease in women as their No. 1 health threat.

This year, the celebration is Feb. 5 and will extend beyond wearing red to asking businesses to light their buildings red and hang red flags or signs. People are encouraged to wear red and use #AlabamaGoesRed in photo captions to show their support on social media.

February is not the only time to focus on heart health. The AHA holds fundraisers and events throughout the year to build awareness and raise money in support of efforts to fight heart disease and stroke.

The 2021 Birmingham Heart Walk is scheduled to be held virtually again this year to maintain necessary safety protocols due to the ongoing pandemic. Southern Company Vice President of Technology David Cox will chair the walk for the second time. “The American Heart Association does a fantastic job bringing communities together to build awareness for heart disease risk, raising important funds for research and celebrating survivors,” Cox said. “I’m honored to support their efforts.”

Last year, 178 coaches led 995 walkers to raise more than $561,000 for lifesaving research and AHA programs. In 2021, funds raised will go toward COVID-19 research and training for front-line workers.

Tips to stay heart healthy:

• Learn your risk factors for heart disease, including high cholesterol, high blood sugar, high blood pressure, obesity and a sedentary lifestyle.
• Practice healthy behavior – increase exercise, don’t smoke, reduce your weight and limit salt intake.
• Learn the differences in symptoms of heart trouble and stroke in men vs. women.