Step by Step
Together - step by step – we can rebuild healthy local lives
There’s no doubt that the pandemic and ongoing lockdown is taking a huge toll on the health of our communities – physically, and mentally.
We’re here to help and encourage local people, families and communities to take small steps to get active, rebuild their health and help us get local people back on their feet.
Whether you’re young or old, a fitness fanatic or a couch potato, living with a condition or not - taking simple steps to look after your health is one of the most important things you can do as we move, step by step, out of this dark time.
7 Steps to a Healthier Heart this Heart Month!
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![Get Active & Increase your steps - 1]()
1 Get Active & Increase your steps One way to increase your steps in February is by signing up to our Red Dress Run!
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![Eat a healthy and balanced diet - 2]()
2 Eat a healthy and balanced diet What we eat plays an important role in keeping us fit and healthy - find tips and advice on eating a healthy diet.
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![Cut back on alcohol - 3]()
3 Cut back on alcohol Drinking too much alcohol can lead to high blood pressure and Atrial Fibrillation (irregular heart rhythm). Find out more about cutting back.
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![Quit smoking - 4]()
4 Quit smoking It’s never too late to give up and doing so will reduce your risk of heart illness - find out more about how to quit.
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![Watch your Wellbeing - 5]()
5 Watch your Wellbeing Did you know that too much stress or too little sleep can impact your heart health? Find out more about improving your sleep or managing stress.
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![Get an Online Health Check - 6]()
6 Get an Online Health Check Our Online health checks offer a one to one lifestyle consultation with one of our Health Promotion Specialists - sign up here for free throughout February
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![Know the Signs of Heart Attack (STOP) - 7]()
7 Know the Signs of Heart Attack (STOP) Do you know the signs of a Heart attack? Think of STOP:
S – Something’s not right – symptoms can start slowly
T – Tightness or pain in the chest, pain in the arm, neck or jaw
O – Other symptoms such as shortness of breath, nausea or sweating
P – Phone 999 immediately – the ambulance crew will do an ECG.
We’re rebuilding healthy local lives - like Mark’s…
Mark McCall, aged 30 from Belfast, had a stroke in 2018. When he got home from the hospital, he had to sleep in a bed downstairs while he tackled relearning to walk and getting back on his feet.
Two weeks after leaving hospital, Mark was introduced to Northern Ireland Chest Heart and Stroke. He says, “It helps people to get out and get to know other people and enjoy themselves and have a bit of a laugh. The groups for me have been phenomenal.”
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Mark has been taking part in our Taking Control Self Management programme on Zoom each Friday. He says, “The course really helps you with living with the effects of a stroke. It’s fantastic.”
You can help us rebuild healthy local lives - like Damien....
Damien Hillen underwent major heart surgery in 2019, so has been shielding during the pandemic. With the garden being his only escape from the house, he has taken on an incredible challenge to complete the 104,094 steps it takes to scale Mount Everest on the 5 steps in his back garden and raising over £12,000 for our work – and proving there are lots of creative ways to stay active at home!
The steps we’re taking to help people to get back on their feet
In the last year alone, we have:
- Invested £2.9 million in services during 2019/20
- Supported over 25,000 people in schools, workplaces, and communities to live longer, healthier lives
- Supported over 3,300 living with a heart, stroke, or respiratory conditions