Love is in the air, and as it is the month of heart health, the benefits of both affection and exercise are whole body’s health. Humans are supposed to keep moving like the rest of the animal world, but we tend toward being sedentary which is not good for your heart, organs or mind. Unless you are a barnacle, oyster, or a sloth, keep moving!
Puffins in love will show affection by rubbing beaks together, thus perhaps the term “love birds.” Atlantic puffins will wait up to six years to find a mate and then are devoted to each other. They keep in shape by flying between 48-55 mph with its wings beating around 400 beats per minute, and they are excellent swimmers (or “flyers”) under water.
FYI: flapping your arms will get your heart pumping.
Penguins in love will scour the beach for “the smoothest, most perfect pebble to give a potential partner. If the female approves, she will put the pebble in her nest.” They keep in shape by walking long distances in the snow, but when in captivity can become plump with lack of exercise. So, when not able to exercise they also need an exercise routine of walking every day in conditions created to protect their tender feet!
So, while we may not be able to physically fly, we can keep ourselves active by having more choices and variations of exercise to keep our hearts healthy.
