I completed 3 marathons in 3 days at elevation in the Sierra Nevada. It was an incredible event. I started training in April and it’s hard to believe the experience was almost a month ago.
Prior to this, I hadn’t even run one marathon. The furthest distance I’d gone was a half marathon and that was about 15 years ago.
Now, I’m not suggesting you sign up for an ultra-endurance event but there is real value behind signing up for an event that is several weeks/months in the future and you commit yourself to the training.
There’s no reason you cannot set a goal and take steps to reach it.
Starting a journey toward better heart health can feel overwhelming, especially with busy lives and packed schedules. But the truth is, heart health improvements don’t require radical overhauls. Instead, they come from small, steady steps that build momentum over time. The first and most powerful thing you can do for yourself is simply to start—today. Think about the smallest thing you can do that aligns with heart health: a brisk ten-minute walk, swapping out a sugary snack for a piece of fruit, or spending five minutes practicing deep breathing to lower stress. It takes time to build healthy habits. These little actions add up.
It only takes 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week, which breaks down to about 20 minutes daily, to make a real difference in heart health. The beauty of starting small is that it’s sustainable. Once a habit is formed, it becomes easier to increase the intensity or duration of your activity. The key is consistency, even if the steps seem tiny at first.
One of the most motivating aspects of improving your health is seeing tangible progress. When it comes to heart health, progress might not always be immediately visible, so tracking is especially helpful. Whether it’s through a journal, a fitness app, or a simple checklist on your fridge… keep track of your efforts. For the 3 marathons/3 days event, I printed off the training plan and crossed out each day’s activity as I completed it. That paper stayed in the middle of my desk the entire 6 months where I saw it constantly.
You can track your daily steps, time spent in exercise, water intake, or even resting heart rate. You can also track a range of activities, not just exercise. For example, mark down when you choose heart-healthy meals, practice stress-relieving activities like meditation, or opt for an active outing instead of screen time. Some people even find that tracking how they feel physically and emotionally each day gives them insights into how beneficial their changes have been. The idea isn’t perfection—it’s progress. Pick one or two new changes to track. Don’t try to track everything. Keep it simple.
One of the best ways to stay motivated is to celebrate the wins, no matter how small. Every time you reach a new milestone, take a moment to recognize your efforts. Did you complete your first full week of consistent activity? Take pride in that. Has your resting heart rate dropped a few beats? That’s an amazing sign of progress. Even feeling more energized or sleeping better counts as a significant improvement to be celebrated.
It’s easy to overlook these small successes because we tend to focus on big-end goals. But milestones keep us moving forward. Try setting a few intermediate goals that feel rewarding and achievable, like increasing your walking time by five minutes every week or preparing a heart-healthy recipe at home. Rewarding yourself could be as simple as taking a relaxing afternoon to read, buying a new fitness gadget, or enjoying a day out with friends. Celebrations don’t have to be extravagant, but they should acknowledge your hard work and reinforce the positive changes you’re making.
Accountability and encouragement from others can be game-changers. Whether it’s friends, family members, or even an online community, sharing your journey with others can provide much-needed support. Consider inviting a friend for walks, joining a heart health challenge, or even posting about your progress on social media. Having others to check in with can help keep you on track, and you might inspire them to make healthy changes as well.
If you’re hesitant to share publicly, even just one accountability partner can make a difference. This could be a family member who joins you for weekend hikes or a friend who checks in weekly about your goals. Support systems work both ways, too; being part of someone else’s journey can fuel your own, creating a shared motivation that benefits everyone.
Improving your heart health doesn’t happen overnight, but with each step, you’re moving closer to a stronger, more resilient body and mind. By starting now, even with small changes, tracking your progress, celebrating each milestone, and building a support network, you’re setting yourself up for lasting health and well-being. You don’t have to run a marathon (or 3!) to experience a transformation; every positive choice you make today is an investment in your future self.
Start where you are and keep going.
All the best,
Lisa Nelson RD