As the song line reads “please be careful with my heart”, the DOH started the month of February with a new and revitalized HATAW for a healthier heart. The exercise can be traced in our daily chores at home. Cleaning and laundry are the main ingredients of the exercise but can burn your calories to your limits.

The exercise is just one of the reminders on how to take care of our hearts. Instead of being sedentary, physical activity can bring our health in shape.

Aside from the exercise, we should also practice good diet avoiding salty and oily foods and eat plenty of high fiber foods. Avoiding excessive alcohol intake as well as not smoking is heart friendly behaviour. Religious blood pressure check and maintenance is a healthy practice as well as awarding ourselves with sorts of relaxation in order to avoid stress.

Last year, the Center for Health Development launched the contest dubbed as KP or Katawang Pangporma. This contest is anchored on the reality television show “The Biggest Loser”. The big difference is that the contestants in the Katawang Pangporma are not confined and don’t do bone-breaking, heart-stopping exercises. Instead, participants undergo twice a week Aerobics exercise and a big chunk of discipline. Discipline because they are only advised on the food they eat as well as its quantity. How can anyone resist savoury food when you’re in a party? Only discipline can answer that!

This year the DOH is planning to expand this contest to all regional offices. This is a part of the campaign for the promotion against non-communicable diseases. Hypertension and cardiovascular diseases are consistently in the top ten morbidity rate. This is due to sedentary physical activity and other unhealthy life style. Exercise is a good activity to exercise the heart and maintain its sound working condition.