Cardiologists electrophysiologists from the Heart Rhythm Section of the Polish Cardiac Society, members of the ICDefibrillators Association and the Silesian Medical University in Katowice, Poland, have jointly inaugurated the #cardiovascularchallenge health promotion campaign. The goal: to effectively motivate cardiac patients, their relatives and friends (including healthy people) to live an active lifestyle. Tool to achieve the goal: Health education by setting an example with one's own attitude. The task to be accomplished: walk 7,500 steps a day. The healthy walking event was inaugurated by Prof. Oskar Kowalski, a cardiologist from the Silesian Center for Heart Diseases, SUM's Pro Rector for Postgraduate Education and Promotion.
Do you want to change me? Set an example for me!
Prof. Oskar Kowalski, head of the Electrophysiology and Cardiac Simulation Laboratory of the Silesian Center for Heart Diseases in Zabrze, the originator of the #cardiovascularchallenge health promotion campaign, admits that he observes the need to implement a nationwide campaign to popularize healthy lifestyles based on the therapeutic challenges he faces in his daily clinical practice.
As clinicians, over the past few years, we have observed that patients come to cardiology clinics across Poland with a variety of symptoms related to the cardiovascular system, but also, increasingly, with overweight or obesity accompanying them. The scale of the problem is increasing. The problem was further exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic, when many of us radically reduced our previous physical activity. Unfortunately, this state of affairs has not gone unnoticed in the health of our society. Previously healthy people began to complain of new ailments and patients with diagnosed cardiovascular conditions developed exacerbations of their diseases and reported worsening well-being. We decided to act. However, we wondered: would cardiac lectures and talks have the desired effect? How to more effectively motivate our patients to be active on a daily basis? Then, eureka: we have to set the right example ourselves! - explains Prof. Oskar Kowalski.
Professor Oskar Kowalski, together with Karolina Odważna, President of the ICDefibrillators Association, decided: we ourselves get up from the couch and set an example for others. Their "duel" and daily task reports are followed by a growing audience on the Association's Facebook profile and on the ambassadors' private profiles. The first effect of the action? Fans are already not only supporting, liking the action, but are themselves hitting the road and walking 7,500 steps!
As evidence of the completion of the #cardiovascularchallenge, a growing group of patients, their relatives and friends are publishing: photos from watches and pedometers with reports of the steps walked, photos of the routes from GPS maps, as well as short live videos with video comments. Ambassadors' pets, companions in action, and their dogs often appear in the reports as background characters. - Good energy gives wings! - admit the creators of the #cardiovacation challenge.
7.5 thousand steps
The goal of the #cardiowychallenge was set by Professor Oskar Kowalski at 7,500 steps per day. - Immediately, questions arose among our community members: why so many? After all, there is talk of 10 thousand steps? Or maybe these 7.5 thousand steps are too high for us patients with various cardiac conditions and implanted electrotherapy devices anyway? - our ambassador-cardiologist patiently explains: It doesn't matter exactly how many steps we cover per day. It's about a certain conventional value that will motivate you to move regularly. - Walk a shorter distance per day, but additionally ride a bike? Dance, exercise at the gym? That's fine! But always take into account your health condition and your body's current capabilities. Take a day off for some reason? That's ok, but then get back to the challenge as soon as possible! - adds Prof. Kowalski. These pieces of advice turned out to be sound, as they took into account not an idealized state in which none of us has any responsibilities and can only focus on the project, but so-called real life - with its unexpected twists and turns, emergencies and complications.
The president of the ICDefibrillators Association experienced a test of character in the last weeks of April, when the streak of daily "cardiosuccesses" was unexpectedly interrupted by an infection.
Due to the illness, I was unable to continue the campaign and had to take a break. Was the whole challenge lost? Absolutely not! Prof. Oskar Kowalski reassured and warned: thorough treatment of the infection is very important for any patient, and for those diagnosed with cardiovascular diseases and implanted electrotherapy systems especially. It is necessary to take a break for treatment, and then gradually return to activity, to the best of your body's ability. That's what I did," says Karolina Brave.
On the road to health!
Our #cardiovascularchallenge has been going on for a few weeks, it started "bottom-up" with two leaders - Karolina and Prof. Kowalski, but the creators of the action are already seeing the first positive effects of the campaign, which we hope will quickly grow with new participants.
-Excuses like: don't have time? I don't accept! Just decide what is most important. I "on the sticks" get up at 6:00 in the morning and hit the road before work. Was it easy for me at the beginning? No, but now I love these my mornings, time for myself. How much energy I have afterwards! Importantly, I see a change in my appearance, I feel better and better in my body. Self-esteem? On medal! And so do our other "cheleniors". - says Karolina Brave.
What effects does Prof. Oskar Kowalski expect from the #cardiacchallenge campaign?
As a cardiologist who consults patients with cardiac arrhythmias, for example, in terms of qualification for arrhythmia substrate ablation procedures, I see that lifestyle changes cause really significant, sometimes even revolutionary changes in the clinical condition and well-being of patients. More than once we have observed in the clinic, when our patient, consulted, for example, six months earlier, when he still smoked, ate unhealthily and was not physically active, after a few months came back to us in a state when the indications for the procedure were simply not there! His arrhythmia symptoms had resolved. Of course, not every condition can be prevented, but I can confidently say that a healthy lifestyle is an effective prevention of many conditions and a great support in cardiac therapy. It is the best way to a better quality, healthier and happier life - for patients and healthy people. I invite you to take a walk! - says Prof. Oskar Kowalski. The SUM pro-rector is waiting for more participants, action.
We are waiting for "evidence" of a pro-healthy walk.
Feel free to send us information in the form of photos or videos! rzecznik@sum.edu.pl
