With the British Heart Foundation declaring February as “Heart Month”, editor-in-chief Katy thinks about her own heart health and how to increase it.
Taking into consideration the theme of our latest issue, timed to coincide with the British Heart Foundation’s ‘Heart Month’, it’s got me thinking about my own ticker – and yes, I do have one, husband, if you’re reading this (he calls me the Tinman from The Wizard of Oz – nice!). And I know I have one as these days it seems to go a bit awry.
Gone are the days I would go from after-school dance rehearsals to a ballet class, or two dance classes on a Saturday, and barely break a sweat. Only when it came to exams did my heart get a severe testing as we’d perform the syllabus from start to finish with no breaks, unlike in regular lessons where we’d stop and start.
In my 20s and early 30s, I was always a member of a gym and I’d attend three times a week. I’d often walk to and from work, 30 mins each way, and even trek across a nearby country park to Asda to do my weekly shop, lugging it all back home in a rucksack. I’d also whizz up to London on the train after work and dance late into the evenings, working up a sweat but never feeling like my heart was struggling.
Heart of the matter
And then came motherhood – fairly late for me at age 39 and a half. All activity stopped virtually overnight. I’d walked a lot during pregnancy, but my son was born in one of the coldest, snowiest winters – in February, almost seven years ago. If I even went out into the garden for a few minutes, it was a miracle. It took 2–3 months before I felt up to walking around the block.
After nine months, I felt up to doing one dance lesson a week. That was my only “fitness” as it were. And sadly, my pre-birth level of activity has never returned. There’s always too much to do.
Change of heart
So why mention this? Because not only have the muscles on my limbs lost some of their tone, the most important muscle in my body has also changed: my heart. I get out of breath more easily, but, worryingly, it does these weird flips every now and then, lasting maybe 10 seconds. It’s often when laying on my side, usually after a lot of food (my fault!) and, I think, when I’m feeling anxious.
I can’t remember when these “judders” or “flutters” as I call them first began, but I’m pretty sure it was when I hit 40. Dr Zoe mentions having had an episode of an abnormal, super-high heart rate (see page 54) that landed her in hospital.
Reading about it made me think it sounded similar to me! Mine doesn’t last long though, and I’ve never been to hospital, but I am considering getting checked out by a cardiologist. I’m not sure whether it’s a proper arrhythmia, as it’s not all the time, but it’s not a nice feeling.
So, heart-wise, I’m focusing on three things this year:
- more consistent exercise;
- slowing down my often quick, shallow breathing;
- making time to relax – they say stress is the biggest killer, after all…
Follow Katy on Substack at katyperimenopause.substack.com.
Read Katy’s ‘Katy Perimenopause’ column in each issue of Top Santé, or read past columns here.
