I recently had my 300th class at a local cycling studio. A majority of those classes have been over the past two years. I love going to these classes, but my anxiety would always leave me little edgy. Last year, I wanted to make sure my heart was in good shape to keep up with these classes.
I had gone for regular physicals and had three pregnancies, one with twins, with no cardiac issues, and no high blood pressure. This article about having a broken heart due to child loss also didn’t help my anxiety. So, for my own peace of mind, I went to see a cardiologist.
I made my appointment last spring and ended up doing a “stress echocardiogram.” For me, this was a very informative test. I was given an echocardiogram, images, and functioning of my heart at the beginning of the exam. Then I walked on a treadmill with the incline and pace changing to see how my heart performed. Then when the treadmill part was complete, more images were taken of my heart at its peak rate. It turned out I was doing pretty well on the treadmill, and all was well!
Having this information has helped my peace of mind and helped me enjoy my classes even more! February is Heart Month, and I usually share a lot about CHD Awareness, but I wanted to share my experience this year. Just know that this test is available should you need it, and we have many amazing cardiologists right here in Fairfield County.
Please take care to acknowledge your heart health this month and every month!
