Leading health charity, Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke, is encouraging local people to take active steps towards healthier hearts this winter. And, with February marking National Heart Month, there’s never been a better time to give your heart the love it deserves.  

The charity’s latest ‘Step by Step’ campaign is designed to encourage people to actively consider their cardiovascular health and puts forward easy steps that everyone can take towards a healthier, stronger heart. Luckily, one of the most significant steps is also simple. Step one – increase your steps.

Acutely aware of the importance of exercise, particularly during lockdown, is personal trainer Emma Scullion from West Belfast. One important step that Emma has taken is to sign up for the charity’s 5km Red Dress Run, supported by Mace, taking place on Sunday 21 February. However, Emma won’t be doing it alone – her seven person-strong walking group will be by her side (virtually, of course!).

Emma, 35, set up a Sunday walking group over a year ago, challenging the group to improve their fitness, step by step: Emma first walked into a gym for the very first time two years ago, and was instantly hooked. Determined to help support others through their fitness journeys, she became a personal trainer and it’s her ambition to break down any barriers to better physical health.

“My friends, people I know, wouldn’t go near a gym, because of the fear of all the young kids being there or that they were too unfit, but I felt that I was at the age that they could come to me and they would feel more comfortable with me. My clients range from 17 to 67!” Emma attributes this lifestyle change and the positive mental effects of exercise as helping her through some tough times.

“I believe in many ways exercise can help your mental health…the hardest part is getting though the door. Even getting to that point in your life, when you are going through a really hard time and making that decision that you are going to do something for yourself – that’s the first step and the hardest part.”

Also inspired by the social side of exercise, commenting on the walking group she set up: “We started off building ourselves up to walk 5km, we’ve now hit that target loads of times. Then we started doing walks up the mountains; Slieve Donard, Stairway to Heaven in Fermanagh, Cavehill, all different walks. We decided about six months ago to start walking for charity.”

She continued: “At the minute, with this current lockdown, everyone is doing individual walks. But, while we’re doing it, we’re WhatsApping and video calling, sharing how many miles we’ve done, congratulating everybody – there’s still a really good buzz about it, even though we aren’t physically together, we are still doing it together, virtually.”

Emma with her Sunday walking group pre-lockdown Siobhan Lappin, Sarah Hawthorne, and Yvonne Espie
2Gallery

Emma with her Sunday walking group pre-lockdown Siobhan Lappin, Sarah Hawthorne, and Yvonne Espie

Fundraising

The group chooses charitable causes close to their hearts and based on their personal experiences. “One of my group’s father died of a heart attack,” said Emma. “He always did charity work for Chest Heart and Stroke and that’s the reason we are fundraising for them.”  

Emma explains: “Also, one of my grandfathers suffered from strokes, a brave few, and it was at a fairly young age. I do remember how he deteriorated. My uncle suffered a heart attack and has passed as well. A good friend Niall has had a stroke…plus a few of my friends’ parents and family members have suffered with their hearts – it really is all around us.” 

With chest, heart and stroke disease responsible for 16 deaths per day in the North, NICHS is passionate about keeping local hearts healthy.  If you’ve been inspired by Emma’s story, then step out of your comfort zone and step up to the challenge. Whether you are running to keep fit or in memory of a loved one, sign yourself, friends, and family up to the Red Dress Run on Sunday 21 February at 11am. Don’t worry if you can’t take part on the date, you can run or walk your way, on any day throughout February. Sign up at www.nichs.org.uk/reddressrun

Lord Mayor of Belfast, Alderman Frank McCoubrey said: “The NI Chest Heart and Stroke ‘Step by Step’ campaign taking place throughout February is a simple and effective way of encouraging us all to get out and get active, ensuring we’re all working to keep our hearts healthy. 

“Taking a short walk and increasing our steps will not only benefit our physical health, it will also have a huge positive impact on our mental health and wellbeing. Following the challenging times we’ve been facing over the past 11 months it’s vitally important we keep ourselves fit and healthy and this fantastic initiative by NI Chest Heart and Stroke allows us to do just that. I would encourage everyone to get involved in this campaign.”