Heart Health Month

February is National Heart Health Month

We get to celebrate many things in February – Love, Black History, the return of pollen in the air here in Florida (What?  Pollen isn’t worth celebrating?).  February is also the month where we shine the light on heart health.  Public parks are a natural prescription for a healthy heart. The positive effects of outdoor exercise are compounded by the calming effect of nature, which helps to reduce stress and anxiety—two major contributors to heart disease.

Moreover, parks offer an antidote to loneliness, providing spaces for social interaction, which has been shown to improve emotional health. Mental well-being is tightly linked to physical health, and the social connection that parks foster can be a powerful protective factor against cardiovascular problems. Dr. Howard Frumkin, former dean of the University of Washington School of Public Health and a past official of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, emphasizes the extraordinary impact of parks, stating, “If we had a medicine that delivered as many benefits as parks, we would all be taking it.”

James Weldon Johnson Park is more than just a beautiful space for relaxation.  It is a place to interact with friends and make new ones, to be amongst music, art and history that tell the story of Jacksonville and a lovely backdrop to get a few extra steps during lunchtime.  We invite you to join us any day of the week.  With the ability to enhance heart health in so many ways, a visit to James Weldon Johnson Park is a free, accessible resource that you can benefit from—no prescription needed.