Everyone knows Valentine’s Day is celebrated in February, but did you know February is also American Heart Month? With hearts everywhere you look, what better time for an annual reminder to pay attention to your heart health? Valentine’s Day and American Heart Month are linked in more ways than you might think. Love can actually lead to a healthier heart, both emotionally and physically. The connections you have with those around you, whether your spouse, children, extended family, or friends, can have a significant impact on your overall health.
Love Hormones
If you are a parent, you have probably heard of oxytocin, also known as the love hormone. One of oxytocin’s roles is creating feelings of love and attachment between mother and baby after childbirth and during breastfeeding. Oxytocin is released by the pituitary gland and helps us feel happy and connected to those around us.
But did you know oxytocin also affects your heart? Studies show it can reduce cortisol levels and blood pressure, lower heart rate, and help the heart heal physically from damage. Similarly, dopamine and serotonin are hormones often associated with falling in love because they affect the brain’s reward center and promote feelings of happiness. These hormones also improve cardiovascular function by helping the heart pump more effectively and improving blood flow. The next time you feel overwhelmed with love for your spouse or child, remember those feelings are more than a fleeting sense of love and well-being. They are also supporting your heart health.
Stress and Heart Health
High-stress situations increase cortisol, a stress hormone produced by the adrenal glands. Like all hormones, cortisol plays an important role in the body, including regulating blood pressure, glucose levels, and sleep cycles. However, when cortisol levels are too high or too low, problems can occur.
So what does this have to do with your heart and being in love? Living with chronically high cortisol levels can keep your body in a constant state of stress, which is harmful to your heart and overall health. Strong connections with loved ones can help reduce that stress. Having someone you trust to talk with not only reminds you that you are not alone, but it can also help lower cortisol levels. You do not need a romantic partner to experience this benefit. A trusted friend, neighbor, or family member can help reduce stress and support a healthier heart.
How Love Can Lower Your Blood Pressure
A kiss on the cheek, holding hands during a walk, and a warm hug are common expressions of love. Physical touch plays a key role in how we show affection, and it can also benefit your heart. Studies show that physical touch from a loving partner can help lower blood pressure. Simple gestures such as holding hands or rubbing someone’s back can improve heart health and reduce the risk of serious conditions such as heart attacks and strokes.
A Support System for Your Life
Being surrounded by people you love offers benefits beyond hormone balance and blood pressure. Your lifestyle choices are often influenced by those around you. Friends and family form your support system and can encourage healthier habits for your heart and your life. Here are a few ways that support system can make a difference.
- Eating Healthy: Following a heart-healthy diet is easier when you and your spouse or family commit to it together. Look up recipes, plan meals, shop, and cook as a team to support better heart health.
- Exercise: Staying motivated to exercise is easier when you are accountable to someone else. That person might be your spouse, neighbor, gym partner, or even your teenager. Walking, running, swimming, playing tennis, or taking a fitness class for at least 30 minutes five times a week can provide the greatest heart health benefits.
- Forming Good Habits: Healthy habits do not happen by accident. Friends and family can encourage you to sleep more, eat better, and maintain positive routines. They can also support you in breaking unhealthy habits such as smoking or excessive drinking, all of which affect heart health.
- Visiting Your Doctor: Parents regularly take children for well-checks, but adults often delay their own appointments. While some aches and pains come with age, others may signal heart issues or chronic conditions. Loved ones can encourage regular checkups because they care about your well-being.
- Mental Health: Poor mental health can increase stress hormones that negatively affect heart health. Friends and family often notice when you are overwhelmed, stressed, or irritable, and they want what is best for you. Whether that means taking time for yourself or seeking support from a mental health professional, they can help you recognize when a change is needed.
Do not let February pass without taking time to consider how your relationships are supporting your heart health.
- Love Hormones in Family Life
That rush of love you feel when hugging your child is powered by oxytocin. Along with dopamine and serotonin, these hormones help lower stress, support emotional bonding, and promote heart health for parents.
- Everyday Family Moments That Help Your Heart
Family walks, bedtime cuddles, cooking meals together, or laughing around the dinner table all strengthen connection while supporting a healthier heart.
- Parenting Stress and Your Heart
Busy schedules, lack of sleep, and constant multitasking can raise stress levels. Talking with a partner, friend, or fellow parent can help lower cortisol and protect your heart.
- Your Parenting Support System Matters
Parenting is not meant to be done alone. Trusted friends, family members, and neighbors can encourage healthy habits, remind you to rest, and support your physical and mental well-being.
Catherine Michalk is a native Austinite, writer, and mom of three. You can follow her family’s adventures at www.catherinemichalk.com.
