Wear It. Beat It (1st – 30th June 2018)

June 2018 is Wear It. Beat It month, the annual campaign hosted by the BHF. The month-long event asks fundraisers to wear red and take part in red-themed activities, in order to raise funds to help support the BHF’s life saving research into heart disease.

What is Heart Disease?

Cardiovascular disease (or commonly known as heart disease) is the result of the build-up of plaques in the blood vessels and heart. The outcome of the plaques causes the blood to thicken thus making it harder for the heart to circulate blood around the body. The potential harm that cardiovascular disease can cause include:

• Fatigue
• Shortness of breath
• Heart attack
• Stroke
• Death

How does Heart Disease affect us?

In the UK, 2,000 families loose a loved one to heart disease each year and every 3 minutes someone is struck by a heart attack, 30% of which are fatal. It’s also estimated that roughly two million people are currently living in the UK with a form of heart disease. Although the symptoms vary in severity, they include:

• Chest pain
• Stomach pain
• Feeling sweaty
• Jaw and back pain
• Choking sensation
• Swollen ankles
• Extreme fatigue
• Irregular heartbeat

How can I prevent Heart Disease?

There are many ways in which you can prevent the risk of heart disease, most include simple changes to your lifestyle. They include:

• Healthy eating – Incorporate a mix of at least five fruit and veg options into your daily food intake.
• Staying active – Try to become more active in your daily routine. Many people make simple adjustments such as; taking the stairs to your office as opposed to the lift, ride a bicycle to work instead of driving etc.
• Stop smoking – Quitting smoking will dramatically reduce your chance of heart disease. Roughly 14% of deaths from circulatory disease are linked to the use of tobacco.
• Your weight – Maintaining a healthy weight is key to keeping your heart in good condition.
• Reduce stress – The BHF has linked stress and anxiety as an attributor to heart disease. Changing your lifestyle in a positive way can make an impact on the amount of stress you put on your heart.
• Drink less alcohol – Long-term excessive drinking increases the risk of developing heart problems. It is suggested that both men and women should not regularly exceed 14 units of alcohol per week.
• Control blood pressure – High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease. The BHF recommend that most adults should get their blood pressure checked at least one a year.

How do I get involved?

Now it’s time to get you and your colleagues involved! There are many ways you can incorporate the red theme into your day at work. These include (but are not limited too):

• Wearing red outfits – A simple way to get involved is to come to work dressed in red. This can range from a bold red tie to a fun red wig, or for the more daring fundraisers, why not a tomato costume?
• Hosting a red bake sale – A bake sale with a twist, make every cake, crumb and crust red!
• A red raffle – Raffle off red-only items, use your imagination when picking the items to make the raffle fun as well as great opportunity to raise funds.
• Red fancy dress competition – Take the red theme to the next level by running a red-only fancy dress competition in the office.

If you wish to get involved by ordering yourself a fundraising pack or to make a donation, please click here. And don’t forget to use the hashtag #wearitbeatit when showcasing your fundraising activities on social media. You can also access our online web portal, which includes various advice articles and webinars including ways to improve your health and wellbeing. www.healthassuredeap.com Phone: 0800 030 5182