Estate Living Magazine Smart Moves - Issue 38 February 2019 | Page 34

C O M M U N I T Y
L I V I N G
ACHY
BREAKY
HEART
In the ‘month of love’ we see stylised hearts
everywhere. To most people they’re just a cheesy
marketing gimmick, and most of us don’t even think of
the real thing. Until, that is, it skips a beat – or stops.
‘Be gentle with my heart / it’s been broken and torn apart …’ So sings
Natasha – and so says everyone who’s recovered (or is recovering)
from a heart attack. And Valentine-themed February is a good time
to take stock of that awesome and astoundingly efficient muscle in
our chests constantly beating out the rhythm of our lives – especially
if it has ‘been broken and torn apart’.
State-of-the-heart
According to statistics released by the Heart and Stroke Foundation,
five people have a heart attack every hour in South Africa. Scary
stats. And, okay, we all know that a healthy lifestyle and plenty of
exercise are essential ingredients for preventing heart attacks and