Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day! 💘

Your heart genuinely reacts to acts of love. Hugs, gratitude, dancing, and home-cooked meals may seem like little things, but they matter for your cardiovascular system.

In this issue, we’re breaking down 14 longevity-forward ways to love your heart — organized by the five love languages, a playful framework based on real research:

→ Each love language can map to a longevity pathway: touch calms your nervous system, gifts change your environment, words rewire your brain, time deepens social bonds, and service reduces stress.

Without further ado, let’s dive in…

Couples massage (or self-massage)
Skin-to-skin contact 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 triggers oxytocin (aka the “cuddle hormone”), which can reduce stress and stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system. Massage can ease muscle tension, improve lymphatic flow, boost recovery, and support metabolic health. 

Prescription cuddling
Cuddling is small, free, and meaningful. Affectionate touch lowers cortisol, supports healthier blood pressure, improves sleep, and strengthens the social bonds linked to longer life. 🫂

⌚ A three-minute intimacy ritual
Intimacy is heart-healthy. Sex and affectionate closeness can increase heart rate variability — a measure of healthy heart aging — improve mood, and deepen connection. 

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Dark chocolate and flowers (Cliché and effective)
Dark chocolate is rich in antioxidants that improve blood vessel function and lower hypertension and stroke risk. 🌹 Floral scents can alleviate anxiety, reduce resting heart rate, and lower blood pressure. Together, they’re the perfect match.

A weekend getaway
Travel is “exercise for the brain.” New environments activate navigation and bonding circuits, reduce stress, and are linked to slower biological aging.

Acupressure mat
Featured in our ”20 Gifts Every Woman Will Love,” 🎁 acupressure mats draw from Chinese medicine. Regular use may lower stress, improve circulation, ease chronic pain, and support mobility and immune function for cardiovascular health.

Practice appreciative talk
Appreciation strengthens relationships, reduces stress, and deepens emotional safety. Try this exercise: Notice something you, your partner, or a beloved family member does well and tell them — clearly and specifically — why you love it.

Handwrite a Valentine's Day card ✍
Handwriting engages parts of the brain that are tied to memory and emotions, says Hetty Roessingh, a professor at the University of Calgary, in The Conversation. Handwritten notes expressing love or gratitude cement a connection, reduce stress, and trigger closeness.

🔈 Add a spoken affirmation (and say it out loud)
Our most repeated thoughts are the ones that take root, says psychologist Lauren Alexander, PhD, in the Cleveland Clinic. Affirmations use repetition and positive self-talk to shift mindset and behavior in ways that support resilience and well-being.

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Heart coherence breathing
This simple breathing practice can reduce hormone activity linked to aging. Synchronizing heart rate with your breath can calm the nervous system and improve emotional regulation and resilience. 💗

Dance  
Dancing may be one of humanity’s oldest longevity rituals, and research explains why. Music boosts oxytocin, reduces blood pressure, improves mood, and counts as an excellent form of physical activity. 

Commit to distraction-free time
During dinner, a walk, or a date, put the phones away. 📵 Being fully present with yourself, or someone else you love. Even short, uninterrupted moments of attention strengthen emotional bonds, reduce stress, and reduce catastrophic thinking and anxious behavior.

🍳 Cook a heart-healthy meal
“Food is the way to the heart” should be taken literally. What you eat affects your arteries, inflammation levels, and metabolic health. Cooking for someone (including yourself) is an act of love. Cooking the right foods is an act of longevity.

A simple Valentine’s menu:

Do the chore they hate most
Small acts of service reduce friction, build goodwill, and deepen trust in friendships and relationships. ☺ Over time, helping others can limit daily stress and reduce everyone’s cardiovascular risk, improve immune function, and predict a longer life.

Love is about connection, 💕 rivaling exercise and diet in its impact on extending lifespan. Since love helps you live longer, let’s practice more of it.

→ Forward this to someone whose heart you want to keep beating for a long time.

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We asked: Which heart-health habit do you think has the biggest impact on long-term longevity?

Heart health is a team sport! All of them matter. Your heart wants movement, nourishment, connection, and rest. To see the full lifestyle lineup, check out the American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential 8 framework.