Staying heart-healthy can be a challenge, especially when good intentions bump into real-life obstacles. Mayo Clinic Health System is offering the “Passport to Heart Health,” a virtual challenge that will test those good intentions and motivate participants to face life’s choices each day.

Knowing that heart disease accounts for 1 in every 4 deaths in the U.S. – and with February being Heart Health Month – Mayo Clinic Health System designed the “Passport to Heart Health” to challenge and motivate participants using virtual tools to think about heart health in new ways, try new things and talk with their loved ones about heart health.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for people of most racial and ethnic groups in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Heart disease includes blood vessel diseases, arrhythmias and congenital heart defects.

The goal of the challenge is for participants to improve heart health by completing at least one activity from each of these three categories:

• Do: Perform physical activities, participate in screenings or set goals.
• Learn: Read articles or watch videos.
• Eat: Try heart-healthy recipes or new produce.

Each week, “Passport to Heart Health” participants will receive weekly emails with activities to do, recipes to try and information to read to guide them on a heart-healthy journey. At the end of February, they will be asked to complete an online survey to receive a prize.

To take part in the challenge, register on the Mayo Clinic Health System website at www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/classes-and-events/passport-to-heart-health. Participants must register before Feb. 1 to participate.