Building Better Habits Through Small Steps
It’s 6 a.m. You told yourself you’d go for a walk, but you have to get the kids ready for school, and it’ll be too hot outside by the time you’re done.
By noon, you’ve been working without a break and know you need to eat a full healthy meal. But you have a million more things to do, and a bag of chips is faster.
It’s 10 p.m., and you know you need a good night’s sleep. But you have to pack lunches, do some laundry and finish the latest episode of your favorite tv show.
Diet and exercise. More sleep, less stress. Regular check-ups. Social connection. These are the building blocks of a heart healthy life, but how can we achieve all of this while also balancing the needs of our families?
“A lot of heart health advice can feel overwhelming,” said Chaffin Hart, a board-certified health coach. “It can sound like you need to overhaul your entire life overnight ... and somehow do it all perfectly.”
Hart is one of the facilitators of the CDC Foundation’s new Live to the Beat virtual health coaching program for women—a continuation of a partnership between the CDC Foundation and Million Hearts. Launched in 2022, Live to the Beat empowers people to take small steps toward better heart health through practical education, supportive community and authentic stories that inspire action.
“We know that meaningful, lasting behavior change is often easier when people feel connected and supported,” said Ginger Williford, campaign director for Million Hearts at the CDC Foundation. “We wanted to create a way for women to learn from experts, connect with one another and build accountability in a virtual setting. The Live to the Beat Virtual Coaching Program grew from that vision.”
The Virtual Coaching Program
Designed specifically for women seeking practical support and connection, the Live to the Beat virtual coaching program launched in April 2026 with five sessions covering different heart health topics: forming healthy habits, taking charge of your blood pressure, stressing less and sleeping more, feeling confident in your health care and building your support team. Each session, led by subject-matter experts, begins and ends with personal reflection and discussion about the topic. Participants are provided with a worksheet to help guide them through each session and serve as a reminder, or cue, to continue practicing what they've learned.
Those cues are one part of what Hart introduces in the first session as the habit loop: a cue, a routine and a reward. The cue reminds you to take action. For example, if you want to start walking in the morning, your cue could be putting your sneakers next to your bed. The routine is the habit you want to start. The reward is the benefit. One attendee shared how she used the same concept to drink more water.
“I've got a really cute glass water pitcher, and every night I put lemon, ginger and mint in it,” she said. “It looks so pretty and fresh. It makes me want to drink the water.”
Such habits are an important part of living a heart-healthy life, and the program reinforces these by creating opportunities for participants to encourage one another along the way. While people often focus on food, exercise and medication when they think about heart health, the program emphasizes the importance of meaningful social connection. Having others celebrate successes and provide accountability can make healthy habits easier to maintain.
This connection can also be made with healthcare providers. The session “Feeling Confident in Your Health Care” helps debunk myths and reminds participants that their relationship with a provider should be a partnership.
“Going to the doctor is not passive. You're not there to be lectured; you're there to collaborate,” said Carla Booker, MD, urgent care and family medicine physician at WellStar. “Healthcare is teamwork. Think of yourself as a team member; your physician is your coach and your cheerleader.”
Taking the First Steps
Participants say these conversations have helped them see their health differently. “I used to think I couldn't control what happened inside my body, especially my blood pressure,” one attendee reflected, “I didn't know I had control.”
Whether participants join one session or all five, the goal is the same: to leave with practical tools, supportive connections and confidence to make heart-healthy choices that fit their everyday lives. The habits that stick are the ones that are small enough to repeat, even on stressful days.
“Real change doesn't come from doing everything perfectly,” said Jayne Morgan, MD, cardiologist and vice president of medical affairs at Hello Heart. “It comes from small steps repeated over time—building habits that actually fit your life.”
The next Live to the Beat virtual coaching course is held every other Tuesday and Thursday from July 14 through September 10, 2026, and participants can catch up with past sessions on the Live to the Beat website.
This blog is supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $2,500,000 with 100 percent funded by CDC/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, CDC/HHS, the U.S. Government, or the CDC Foundation.
