Heart Health, Equity, and Movement: How Physical Therapy Supports Cardiovascular Health in Durham, NC
Recognizing Heart Health Month & Black History Month Through Action
February marks both American Heart Month and Black History Month, creating an important opportunity to talk honestly about cardiovascular health, prevention, and the role movement and healthcare access play in long-term outcomes — especially within Black and historically underserved communities.
As physical therapists serving Durham, North Carolina, we see firsthand how heart health is influenced by much more than exercise alone. Access to safe spaces for movement, work schedules, transportation, nutrition options, stress, and healthcare access all play a role in cardiovascular risk and recovery.
The good news? Many cardiovascular risk factors are modifiable, and even small, sustainable changes can significantly improve long-term outcomes.
Cardiovascular Health: What Actually Matters?
The American Heart Association defines cardiovascular health using Life’s Essential 8, which includes:
- Diet quality
- Physical activity levels
- Nicotine exposure
- Sleep health
- Body mass index
- Blood lipid levels
- Blood glucose levels
- Blood pressure
These factors collectively predict long-term heart and vascular health.
While medications are sometimes necessary, lifestyle behaviors remain the foundation of prevention and recovery.
Why Heart Health Disparities Matter in Durham and Across the U.S.
Black adults in the United States experience:
- Higher rates of hypertension
- Earlier onset of heart failure and stroke
- Higher cardiovascular mortality rates
- Lower referral rates to cardiac rehabilitation programs
- Delays in treatment and preventative care access
Importantly, research shows these differences are not biological, but largely reflect social determinants of health, including:
- Healthcare access
- Insurance coverage
- Transportation barriers
- Food access
- Work demands
- Chronic stress exposure
- Historical and ongoing structural inequities
In Durham — a diverse and rapidly growing city — addressing heart health means addressing real-life barriers to staying active and accessing care.
Movement Is Medicine — And Physical Therapy Helps Make It Possible
Exercise remains one of the most powerful interventions for cardiovascular health. Evidence shows regular physical activity can:
- Lower systolic blood pressure by ~3 mmHg
- Improve cholesterol profiles
- Support healthy weight management
- Reduce systemic inflammation
- Improve vascular function
- Reduce overall cardiovascular disease risk by more than 20%
The challenge? Not everyone can simply “start exercising.”
Pain, old injuries, joint problems, time constraints, and fear of injury often prevent people from being active.
That’s where physical therapy bridges the gap.
How Physical Therapy Supports Heart Health in Durham, NC
Physical therapy is not just injury rehab. We help people safely build sustainable activity habits, especially those with:
- Joint pain
- Previous injuries
- Chronic pain conditions
- Balance or mobility limitations
- Post-surgical recovery
- Long periods of inactivity
In our Durham clinic, we frequently help people:
Build Safe Exercise Plans
Programs are tailored around joint history, strength, endurance, and medical considerations so movement feels achievable.
Monitor Basic Health Markers
We often monitor blood pressure responses to activity and help clients understand how their bodies respond to exercise.
Maintain Active Lifestyles
Our goal is to help people return to walking, strength training, running, or community exercise programs without fear of reinjury.
Problem-Solve Real-Life Barriers
Movement habits don’t exist in isolation. Transportation schedules, caregiving responsibilities, work demands, and stress levels all influence health behaviors. We help patients create plans that work within their real lives.
Small Changes Create Real Results
Heart health improvements don’t require extreme programs. Small steps matter:
- Walking 20–30 minutes most days
- Adding two days of strength training weekly
- Improving sleep consistency
- Monitoring blood pressure trends
- Building gradual activity routines
- Seeking guidance when pain limits movement
Research shows even meeting the minimum activity recommendation significantly reduces heart disease and stroke risk.
Consistency beats intensity.
Beyond Exercise: A Holistic Approach to Health
True cardiovascular health includes:
- Movement
- Nutrition habits
- Stress management
- Sleep quality
- Social support
- Access to healthcare and safe activity spaces
Physical therapy often becomes the entry point where people start addressing multiple parts of health because movement affects everything — sleep, energy, mental health, and metabolic function.
Our Commitment During Heart Health & Black History Month
Heart Health Month and Black History Month are reminders that health equity matters.
Improving cardiovascular outcomes means:
- Making movement accessible
- Meeting patients where they are
- Listening to lived experiences
- Addressing barriers beyond the clinic
- Supporting sustainable health behaviors
Our role as physical therapists in Durham is to help people move better so they can live healthier, longer lives — regardless of starting point.
Looking to Improve Your Health or Get Back to Activity in Durham, NC?
Whether you’re recovering from injury, returning to exercise, or simply trying to build healthier habits, physical therapy can help create a plan tailored to you.