Heart-pumping competition raises heart health awareness. CHI St. Alexius is celebrating heart month, one step at a time. Cardiac Rehab patients and employees each walked or ran on a treadmill for 20 to 40 minutes today, to spread awareness of cardiovascular disease. It's part of a friendly competition with other medical facilities in South Dakota and Montana - total miles are added up and compared.
According to the national Centers for Disease Control, someone has a heart attack every 40 seconds in the U.S.
"It's very important because heart disease is the leading cause of death in both men and women," says Clinical Exercise Physiologist Shane Ornelas. "So, it is important to stay active and do as much as you can to reduce the risk of heart disease."
CHI St. Alexius has participated in the multistate challenge for seven years and has won five times.
This year, 109 people took their turns on the treadmill. Together they walked 200.4 miles.
KX News
Sonji Milburn Reporting