February is often associated with hearts — Valentine’s cards, red ribbons, and conversations about heart health. While nutrition plays a crucial role, caring for the heart extends beyond what we eat. The heart does more than keep us alive; it responds to how we live. Stress, loneliness, exhaustion, and constant busyness can all weigh heavily on the heart, even when we’re eating well. This month serves as a reminder that how we move, how we rest, and how connected we feel all significantly impact heart health.

One of the most powerful ways to support the heart is through regular movement. Consistent physical activity helps improve circulation, regulate blood pressure, and support overall cardiovascular function. Walking, swimming, cycling, dancing, and strength training all offer heart benefits when practiced regularly. The goal doesn’t have to be intensity — it’s consistency. Short, moderate bouts of movement done several times a week are often more beneficial and sustainable than occasional intense workouts. Movement should feel supportive, not punishing.

Another essential — and often overlooked — part of heart health is stress management and rest. Chronic stress keeps the body in a heightened state, placing strain on the heart over time. Elevated stress hormones can affect heart rate and blood pressure, making rest just as important as activity. Quality sleep, intentional pauses during the day, and moments of stillness help calm the nervous system and allow the heart to recover. Practices such as slow breathing, prayer, meditation, or stepping outside for fresh air can gently shift the body out of stress mode and into balance.

The heart is also deeply influenced by connection and emotional well-being. Research continues to show that social connection supports both physical and emotional health, while isolation and loneliness can increase health risks. Sharing time with others — whether through conversation, laughter, movement, or quiet companionship — nourishes the heart in ways that are difficult to measure but deeply felt, especially during busy or stressful seasons. Feeling seen and supported matters.

Taking care of the heart means looking beyond a single habit and paying attention to daily rhythms. How we move, how we manage stress, how well we sleep, and how connected we feel all work together to support heart health. Small, consistent choices practiced over time create resilience.

This February, consider widening the lens on heart care. Nutrition matters — and so do the daily habits that support how the body uses that nourishment. Movement, rest, stress management, connection, and food all work together to support a healthy heart. Rather than choosing one area to focus on, aim for balance. When nourishment and lifestyle align, the heart is supported in a way that’s both sustainable and life-giving.

Heart health isn’t built in a single meal or a single workout. It’s shaped over time by the choices we return to day after day. Paying attention to how we live — alongside how we eat — allows heart care to feel less overwhelming and more attainable. Small, consistent steps, practiced with intention, can create lasting support for the heart and for the life it sustains.