Swimming is one of several activities you can do to participate in the challenge

February is well known for Valentine's Day, and in the spirit of Valentine's Day hearts, it's also Heart Month! On top of celebrating the figurative heart with love, February also focuses on improving your cardiovascular health and how you can make your heart healthier.

To recognize Heart Month, the Town of Strathmore set up a challenge to see how far you can travel this month by getting active. Getting involved is easy, all you have to do is use the Town's fitness facilities like the pool, arena, or Strathmore Motor Products Sports Centre and let the staff know you want to join. From there, you keep track of how many kilometres you travelled. There are also bonus points for attending fitness classes at the Sports Centre or a public skate at the arena.

Sports Centre Manager Lisa Montgomery explained the Town's motivation to set this challenge up primarily came from wanting to find ways to keep the town healthy during the winter. 

"During the winter people can often feel low and lose motivation and having a challenge is a great way to increase motivation, with a friendly challenge.  People are also connecting with their community by seeing regulars and engaging with each other which is an additional benefit of exercise." 

She added prizes will be awarded to the top 3 finishers of distanced travelled. On top of keeping track of distance travelled, all fitness classes will also be eligible for extra prize draws, including several free sessions the Town is holding. 

For more details on the Heart Month challenge, and to find what free courses the Town is offering, you can visit their website here.