| Debbie Costello
Being active every day is easy with the Healthy Heart Challenge
Melbourne Cup is the race that stops the nation, but in 2007 this day signified a different heart stopping event for me. What I initially thought was heartburn actually turned out to be a heart attack. It took me by surprise because I was under 50, took good care of myself and had no risk factors. I’d always thought heart health was a concern for aging men, so I was shocked to learn that heart disease is the No. 1 killer of Australian women.
When I heard about the Healthy Heart Challenge in 2011, I thought it would be a great program to participate in. My goal was to ‘Be active every day’, and to be honest, it wasn’t hard to achieve. I received loads of support and helpful tips from the team at Go Red for Women so I never felt like I was in it alone - I enlisted the help of my family too. I learned to set goals that reflect my personal circumstances. I’m not a morning person, so I chose to go for walks in the evening and my children took it in turns to keep me company - this gave me bonus one-on-one time with them too. I also used a pedometer to track my daily activity. The Healthy Heart Challenge helped me take a positive step to improve my heart health and I’m still walking regularly today. My advice to all women thinking about participating in the Challenge in 2012 is to just do it! It’s not overwhelming, the support is great and the advice is meaningful and achievable. There’s no single cause for heart disease, but for me, taking part in this program is one of the easiest ways to help reduce the risk factors that can lead to developing it.
Don’t let the stories end here. Make your own by taking part in the Healthy Heart Challenge this year. You can inspire other women by sharing your story today.
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