Don’t go breaking your heart

Nope, this is not a Valentine’s Day post but it is Heart Health Month and I truly, deeply care about yours in more ways than one!

I was 19 years old when I watched my father suffer and then die from a heart attack a week before his 52nd birthday. His own doctor also suffered a heart attack trying to bring him back to life before the ambulance arrived. One man was taken to the hospital, the other to the morgue.

It was a incredibly traumatic experience for my mother and I who were the witnesses to these events.

Life’s Mysterious Echos

That scene, experience and feeling came flooding back in full technicolor 35 years later when my husband and Co-founder of Be Well, David, collapsed from a heart attack on our front door step one Sunday morning, also in his mid 50’s, in 2017.

As I sat, helplessly, holding his head, waiting for the ambulance to arrive I was gripped by the same fear and shock I felt all those years ago. As the saying goes, life may not repeat but it sure does rhyme.

All these years later, heart disease is still Australia’s leading cause of death – claiming over 17,000 lives each year (ABS, 2023). Among adults aged 45–74, 1 in 6 is at high risk of a heart event in the next five years – often without realising.

Women are not small men

Heart disease looks and behaves differently in men and women.

Men are more likely to experience the “classic” signs of a heart attack – chest pain, tightness and shortness of breath. Women, especially after menopause, are more likely to have “silent” symptoms: nausea, fatigue, back or jaw pain, or even anxiety-like symptoms.

This means heart issues are often misdiagnosed or picked up late in women. In fact, women are almost three times more likely to die within a year of a heart attack compared to men (Heart Foundation, 2022).

This is not just physical either. Emotion, stress, grief and social disconnection all trigger changes in heart rhythm and blood pressure. Studies show women tend to experience stronger emotional-heart links, such as “broken heart syndrome” (takotsubo cardiomyopathy), which mimics a heart attack but is caused by acute stress.

Healthy ways to a healthy heart

At Be Well, we’re here to help your emotional and physical heart thrive – no matter your age or gender.

We all know by now that aerobic/cardio exercise, strength and interval training 2 – 3 times per week are key to heart health but what about everything else? Here’s some great new data on six additional ways not to break your own heart!

Yoga and Tai Chi

• Lowers stress hormones, improves heart rate variability (HRV), and supports flexibility and balance.

Quality Sleep (7–9 hours/night)

• Poor sleep increases heart disease risk by 45%. Good sleep helps regulate blood pressure and inflammation.

Saunas

• Research shows regular sauna use mimics cardio benefits, lowers blood pressure, and improves vascular function.

Cold Water Exposure

• Helps regulate vascular tone and autonomic nervous system (especially beneficial post-exercise).

Breathwork & Meditation

• Slows heart rate, increases heart rate variability (HRV), and reduces stress load on the heart. Even 5 minutes a day counts. Gratitude journaling just 5 minutes a day also lowers resting heart rate and boosts emotional resilience.

Social Connection & Laughter

• Yes, laughter! Oxytocin release supports cardiovascular health. Isolation increases heart attack risk by up to 29%.

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The end of the story for David was very different to my Dad’s, thank goodness. One magic stent and he was back with more life and energy than ever. He is the first to say his heart attack was entirely predictable though – his lifestyle, diet and stress were seriously out of balance at that time. In fact, getting him back on track is what led us to create Be Well!

No matter what I read on health, longevity, health and age tech and more, the key message is still the same. Your lifestyle is 80% of the health and wellbeing story and therefore completely in your control. As we like to say, and do!, lifestyle is your best medicine.

We’ve got this Be Wellers! Here’s to strong hearts and living longer, better, healthier and happier together.