February is American Heart Month. This is a time set aside each year to raise awareness about heart disease and to encourage people to take simple steps toward better heart health. At CrossFit Dwell, this message is close to our hearts. We believe fitness is about more than how you look or how much you can lift. It’s about protecting your future, building strength for everyday life, and taking care of the one body you’ve been given.
American Heart Month also carries personal meaning for our gym family. In 2021, Michael Polutta, Lauren’s dad and Natalie’s husband, passed away from a sudden cardiac arrest. Like many families, we know firsthand how serious heart disease is and how suddenly it can change lives. That reality strengthens our commitment to helping people build healthier habits now, not “someday.”
Let’s talk about what American Heart Month is, why it exists, what cardiovascular disease actually is, and how CrossFit-style training helps reduce your risk.
The History and Purpose of American Heart Month
American Heart Month began in 1964 when President Lyndon B. Johnson, who himself had experienced a heart attack, declared February as a month dedicated to heart health awareness. Since then, organizations like the American Heart Association and healthcare groups across the country have used February to educate the public about heart disease risk and prevention.
The focus is simple:
Learn the risks.
Know the warning signs.
Take action early.
Heart disease remains one of the leading causes of death for both men and women in the United States. The good news is that many of the risk factors are tied to lifestyle which means they can be improved with daily habits like movement, strength training, nutrition, sleep, and stress management. (See: Heart Disease)
That’s where what we do at CrossFit Dwell fits in.
What Is Cardiovascular Disease?
Cardiovascular disease (often shortened to CVD) is a general term for conditions that affect the heart and blood vessels. The most common type is coronary artery disease, where plaque builds up inside the arteries and reduces blood flow to the heart. This can lead to heart attacks.
Other forms include:
- Stroke
- Heart failure
- High blood pressure
- Peripheral artery disease
- Irregular heart rhythms
Many people assume heart disease happens suddenly without warning. In reality, it often develops slowly over years. Risk builds quietly through habits and conditions like:
- Physical inactivity
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Poor nutrition
- Excess body fat
- Smoking
- Chronic stress
- Type 2 diabetes
- Low muscle mass and low fitness levels
Some risk factors, like age and family history, can’t be changed. But many of the biggest drivers can be improved, sometimes dramatically, through consistent exercise and better daily habits.
How CrossFit Training Supports Heart Health
At CrossFit Dwell, our training approach is built around functional movement, strength training, and conditioning. That combination is especially powerful for heart health. Not just one piece but the full mix.
Here are several ways CrossFit-style training helps reduce cardiovascular disease risk.
1. Improves Cardiovascular Fitness
Conditioning workouts such as rowing, biking, walking, running, and mixed movement circuits train your heart and lungs to work more efficiently. Over time, your heart becomes stronger and pumps blood more effectively with each beat.
You don’t have to be fast or advanced to benefit. Scaled workouts at the right intensity for you still build cardiovascular capacity. That’s why we tailor workouts to each athlete.
Better cardiovascular fitness is directly linked to lower heart disease risk and longer lifespan.
2. Builds Lean Muscle Mass
Strength training is sometimes overlooked in heart health conversations, but it shouldn’t be. More lean muscle helps your body regulate blood sugar, improves metabolism, and supports healthy body composition. (see Muscular Strength in Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease and Mortality: A Narrative Review)
Resistance training has been shown to:
- Lower blood pressure
- Improve cholesterol levels
- Improve insulin sensitivity
- Reduce visceral fat (the deeper belly fat linked to heart disease)
We lift weights at CrossFit Dwell safely, progressively, and with coaching, because strength protects long-term health.
3. Helps Manage Body Fat
Excess body fat, especially around the midsection, is strongly linked to cardiovascular disease. A combination of strength training and conditioning workouts is one of the most effective ways to reduce and manage body fat over time. (See: Obesity: The ‘Huge’ Problem in Cardiovascular Diseases)
We focus on sustainable progress, not extreme dieting or burnout programs. Consistent training plus simple nutrition habits go a long way.
4. Supports Healthy Blood Sugar Levels
Regular exercise improves how your body uses insulin and manages blood sugar. This lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes, which is a major risk factor for heart disease.
Both strength training and interval-style conditioning workouts are especially effective for blood sugar control.
5. Reduces Blood Pressure
Exercise helps blood vessels stay more flexible and responsive. Over time, this can lower resting blood pressure. Many members see measurable improvements after months of consistent training.
We also build workouts with appropriate rest, pacing, and scaling so people train hard without unnecessary strain.
6. Reduces Stress
Chronic stress is a real contributor to heart disease. Training provides a healthy outlet for stress and anxiety. Moving your body, breathing hard, and focusing on effort clears mental clutter in a way few things can.
Our group class environment also adds something powerful: community. People who train with support and accountability are more consistent — and consistency is what produces health results.
7. Encourages Consistency and Accountability
The “best” exercise program is the one you actually do. Group training creates structure and accountability. Coaches guide you. Classmates encourage you. You show up more often — and that regularity is what improves heart health markers.
You don’t have to figure it out alone.
Why This Matters to Us
Heart disease is not just a statistic for our family. Losing my husband and Lauren’s dad in 2021 made prevention feel very real and very urgent. We can’t control everything — but we can control how we care for our bodies day to day.
Every class we coach is an opportunity to help someone get stronger, move better, improve their endurance, and reduce their long-term risk.
That’s meaningful work.
Your Next Step
You don’t need to be fit to start. You don’t need experience. You don’t need to be a certain age or size. You just need a starting point.
If you’ve been waiting for the perfect time to take your health more seriously, American Heart Month is a good one.
Come talk with us. Schedule a free intro at CrossFit Dwell. We’ll sit down, learn about your goals, and build a plan that fits your current ability and your future health.
Your heart matters. Your strength matters. Your future matters.
Let’s get to work.