note to self: the heart-rate factor

Resting seems to be my superpower! An old joke of mine, I know, but it helps me to laugh about how often in a day I need to just lie down, and rest! That's because I often feel tired. Sometimes, more tired than other times. And I never can tell the why of it all.

But, I've been having a look at my Fitbit history, and I have had a few insights. Fitbit tracks my steps. But, it also tracks my heart-rate. And although I thought there'd be a correlation between steps-taken and tiredness, Fitbit has helped me see more than that.

Some examples of readings from recent days:

  


 

  

What got me looking at the stats was this: On July 8, I ended the day feeling awful. My head ached, my body felt sore and my joints ached. And I was beyond tired. I was so sure I was going to get the flu, or something.

BUT, I had felt that way before. On days we'd gone out, and had a bit of a walkabout; on days when friends or family visited, and I was up and about . . . .

So, even though I felt so awful, I knew that I'd wake up on the next day and feel all right. And, I was right: I did feel better, but I was still a little hungover from the previous day.

What had caused this?

I checked my steps taken, and it hadn't even reached 3k, as you can see above. Pathetic. And my feeble goal is to hit at least 3,500 a day. (Btw, this has been upped from 3,000 which had been a tough call when I first got my Fitbit in November '16!)

What I didn't think to do was look at my heart rate. Which I did, this morning.

And then, I tracked it back, and found other days like this one.

My resting heart rate is now around 66, on average. It has come down from the high 80s since I was put on digoxin.

There are days when my heart rate sky-rockets, but the number of steps taken for those days remain low. Either I was sitting up more; or, doing something that didn't involve steps. Even slowly strolling around a mall increases my peak heart rate! Even then, the steps are usually only marginally more than I usually record.

In the evenings, or just before lunch - if I'm feeling all right - I'll have a bit of a walk. For about 10 minutes or so. Sometimes, longer. I'd record about 1,000 to 1,500 steps. If I look at my heart-rate chart on those days, there is a peak at those times. But, because I'm not over-doing it (whatever over-doing it might mean, I am still trying to find out!) I don't feel tired or washed out, at night.

I am trying to up my daily steps to 4k. I do hit it on some days, but most days, I don't. So, I've not revised my setting to say 4k steps. It is so demoralising for me to be unable to do it. As it is, not hitting my 3,500 steps kinda pisses me off. Often.

But, I have to keep telling myself that Fitbit ONLY records steps taken. On days that I spend doing my art, when I've been up and about doing stuff - but not necessarily walking about all over the place - those days record low step-readings.

The next time I feel gawd-awful, and like I'm going to get a fever, and be down with the flu - I'll remember to take a look at my heart-rate readings for that day! If it has climbed much, much higher than I am used to, I'll know that that's why: My body is tired from all that heart activity. I've pushed myself too much. All I need do is rest, and I will be fine tomorrow. That's my note-to-self.

And that's why resting still remains my superpower! :)