We are a new organization on campus that is directly affiliated with the American Heart Association. Our goal is to promote awareness of cardiovascular disease and a heart-healthy lifestyle on the U of I campus.

Living a healthy lifestyle in college is difficult. Tests, quizzes, studying, and extracurricular activities take up a lot of time. Many students who live in apartments find it difficult to eat healthy as it takes time out of their busy schedule to prepare a meal. Therefore, many resort to eating frozen foods or eating out for the sake of convenience. It is easy to fall into the routine of going to McDonalds after your 8 am biology right before your next class. Eating out a couple of extra meals could add thousands of calories and fats to your diet as most fast food restaurants are not entirely healthy for students.

For students that live in dorms, food preparation for them is not the problem. The problem is finding the right foods to get the proper nutrition. Students in dorms can also fall into a routine of eating the same foods everyday- pastas, nachos and others. It is important for these students to choose healthy foods in order for them to function and live heart healthy lifestyles.

As we are the future of this country, we have to realize that decreasing our chances of getting heart disease means we have to take action now. It only takes a little planning and the breaking of bad habits in order for us to live healthier lifestyles. About 2000 people die everyday from heart disease. Do you want to be one of these people?

For students who have a family or friend that has or had a heart problem you know it is a serious disease and even if you may be at risk for coronary heart disease due to heredity, the risk could be reduced if you live a healthy lifestyle.

The Illini Heartbeats is here to discuss all of these issues, and to promote awareness on campus. We are also active in our community through volunteering, fundraising, and fitness committees.

Also, for more information please come to our meetings and sign up for our mailing list.

Get Involved

If there’s anything here that you’re particularly interested in, email our President, Ben, and let him know!