The month of February can present a conundrum of sorts for many health enthusiasts. Here we stand, five or six weeks into our New Year’s resolutions of exercising more and eating clean, and what smacks us in the face mid-month? Valentine’s Day!

For such a short month, February is replete with excitement. We celebrate the birthdays of two of our nation’s greatest presidents, we embrace the recipes and practices of Healthy Heart Month, even acknowledge that February has been coined Expect Greatness Month, perhaps due to the fact that the author of “Great Expectations,” Charles Dickens, was born in this month. With all of these goings-on, why do we choose to focus so much energy on the 14th?

Try as I might, I have never figured out how we have come to equate cupid’s heart with those of Fannie May. Yet every retailer in the city seems to bring out the fine chocolates in celebration of this Hallmark-created romantic holiday. Does a sugar rush even come close to comparing to the rush of passion? Why do we feel compelled to intertwine the two?

If you are a purist, and insist on celebrating the 14th of February with an indulgence in something sweet, think about choosing dark chocolate over milk chocolate this year. According to findings published in the Journal of the American Medical Association by colleagues at the University of Cologne, Germany, dark chocolate contains cocoa phenols, which can help to lower blood pressure. In addition, dark chocolate is a powerful source of antioxidants, substances that can eliminate destructive free-radical molecules which have been implicated in heart disease.

If this sounds like a free ticket to Willy Wonka’s Factory, be advised that a 100-gram serving of Hershey’s Special Dark Chocolate Bar packs 531 calories. The same 100 grams of an apple, for example, packs only 52 calories. However, if you conscientiously balance dark chocolate consumption with a prudent workout plan, the health benefits you derive may be worth the indulgence.

This Valentine’s Day, if you plan to surprise your sweetheart with flowers and chocolates, perhaps also give him or her a free day-pass to your favorite gym. It’s the gift that says “I love you” in so many different ways!

Cathleen Kronemer, NSCA-CPT, is a longtime fitness instructor at the Jewish Community Center.