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What are you doing on Saturday morning? If you want to both take care of your health and look after your colleagues and loved ones, I invite you to consider participating in the . It鈥檚 easy to register online and even easier to simply get up and walk a few miles in your own neighborhood for one of the best causes imaginable 鈥� your heart.

While the COVID-19 pandemic continues to grab our attention, a disturbing health trend is happening in the construction industry when it comes to our craft workers鈥� personal health. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, roughly one in four construction workers suffer from cardiovascular disease. Even more troubling is that while many of us in the construction industry are keenly aware of this issue, few are doing anything to address it.

When it comes to numbers, here鈥檚 one: 211,000. That鈥檚 the number of construction workers who have been formally diagnosed with cardiovascular disease. On average, someone dies of cardiovascular disease in the United States every 36 seconds. Further, someone has a stroke somewhere in the U.S. every 40 seconds.

These conditions are often linked to hypertension, or high blood pressure. And in the U.S., 47 percent of all adults 鈥� 121 million 鈥� suffer from hypertension, according to data from 2015 through 2018. This can result from a lack of exercise, poor diet, smoking, or a combination of factors. Some people are more genetically prone to high blood pressure than others. This makes it even more important for all of us to exercise regularly, get enough sleep and follow a healthy diet.

These numbers, and their effect on the construction industry and its workforce, is what prompted the creation of a new American Heart Association program: Oregon Hard Hats with Heart. It鈥檚 an initiative I am proud to support, and I encourage other firms to get involved. Unlike the Heart Walk, which is a fundraiser, Hard Hats with Heart is an ongoing initiative that gives leaders within the construction industry the tools to focus on healthier lifestyles, getting information that already exists to the craft workers on their jobsites. So many craft workers think 鈥榖ecause I鈥檓 in the trades, it doesn鈥檛 matter.鈥� Well, it does matter! Your health is important.

At Mortenson, we strive to support this program by making it as easy as possible for our team members to learn more about cardiac care, including high blood pressure and its causes, as well as how to take positive action to improve their overall heart health. Because of COVID-19, we know that the risks of heart disease and hypertension have only increased. With the added challenge of addressing a workforce that is spread out over multiple locations, we committed to reaching team members in more convenient ways for them. This has led to a new, digital approach that made educational information engaging and easily accessible.

The result is that Mortenson teamed up with the American Heart Association to provide virtual blood pressure and stroke awareness training during the company鈥檚 weekly all-hands safety meeting. After all, protecting our health is what safety is all about. Research has shown that around 70 percent of heart attacks occur at home, so company leadership encouraged our team members to also invite their family members and partners to join these workshops.

The 30-minute virtual training sessions cover vital topics such as 鈥淜now Your Numbers,鈥� which provides guidance on how to accurately use a self-monitoring blood pressure cuff at home, the consequences of high blood pressure and how to recognize the warning signs and symptoms of stroke, and lifestyle changes you can make to reach your blood pressure goal.

In addition to education, we鈥檝e actively provided resources to support team members and help them lead a heart-healthy lifestyle. We are trying to promote healthy food on the jobsite and frequently talk about it in safety meetings, new team member orientations and project meetings. We encourage our team members to use modern technology to aid their progress, including health apps such as the American Heart Association鈥檚 鈥淢y Life,鈥� which assesses your current condition and provides tools to improve your heart health. We also encourage everyone to take the Heart Healthy Challenge, which involves tracking progress toward a more heart-healthy lifestyle by documenting meals and exercise habits.

You can help support future generations in learning about healthier lifestyles too. One of our favorite resources is the Kids Heart Challenge, which offers school-age children a fun and active way to learn about their own heart. The challenge emphasizes the importance of maintaining physical and emotional well-being while also raising money for the American Heart Association.

There鈥檚 also a similar program for middle and high school students called the American Heart Challenge. It allows students to not only improve their own health and raise funds for research and awareness, but also meet survivors of heart disease and learn how their lives were affected by the condition.

So, where will you be this Saturday? Hopefully you will join us in signing up for the Oregon & Southwest Washington Heart and Stroke Walk Digital Experience and taking at least a small step toward a better, healthier lifestyle both for yourself and for your loved ones.

Let鈥檚 turn this trend around.

Dan Mehls is the vice president and general manager of Mortenson鈥檚 Portland office. Contact him at 971-202-4113.

The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed in the preceding commentary are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Daily Journal of Commerce or its editors. Neither the author nor the 91视频 guarantees the accuracy or completeness of any information published herein.