Is Pilates Good for Heart Palpitations During Perimenopause?
Heart palpitations during perimenopause are more common than most women expect. Learn how Pilates supports nervous system regulation and may reduce the frequency of palpitation episodes.
Understanding Palpitations in Perimenopause
Heart palpitations, the feeling that your heart is fluttering, racing, or beating irregularly, affect many women during perimenopause. They are usually caused by oestrogen's influence on the autonomic nervous system, the system that regulates heart rhythm. When oestrogen fluctuates, the nervous system becomes more reactive, and the heart can respond with episodes of irregular beating. Stress, caffeine, poor sleep, and anxiety all lower the threshold for these episodes to occur.
How Pilates Calms the Nervous System
Pilates is centred on controlled, deliberate movement coordinated with breathing. This is exactly the type of activity that activates the parasympathetic nervous system, the calming branch that counteracts the stress response. Unlike high-intensity exercise that elevates heart rate aggressively, Pilates keeps the cardiovascular system gently engaged while the nervous system settles. Over time, regular Pilates practice builds what researchers call vagal tone, a measure of how well the body can return to calm after stimulation, which is directly relevant to palpitations.
Breathing as a Direct Tool
The lateral breathing technique at the heart of Pilates involves expanding the ribcage sideways and breathing deeply into the lower lungs. This style of breathing is naturally slow and full, and slow exhalation in particular activates the vagus nerve and steadies heart rhythm. Practising this kind of breathing regularly means you have a concrete skill to use in the moment when a palpitation episode begins, helping the heart settle more quickly.
Low Impact Keeps Cardiovascular Stress Manageable
For women experiencing frequent palpitations, high-intensity exercise can sometimes trigger episodes because of the rapid changes in heart rate and the adrenaline release that accompanies vigorous exertion. Pilates keeps intensity low and predictable. Heart rate rises moderately and stays consistent throughout a session rather than spiking, which is a safer and more comfortable environment for the heart to be in when the nervous system is already sensitised.
Reducing the Triggers
Palpitations in perimenopause are often triggered by stress and poor sleep as much as by exercise. Pilates reduces cortisol and typically improves sleep quality over time, which addresses two of the biggest underlying contributors. Women who practise Pilates regularly often report that not only do their palpitations reduce in frequency, but their overall sense of anxiety and reactivity settles, which makes the episodes feel less frightening when they do occur.
Getting Medical Clearance First
Before beginning or changing an exercise routine when you are experiencing heart palpitations, check with your GP. Most perimenopause-related palpitations are benign but should be confirmed by a doctor, particularly if they are new, frequent, or accompanied by other symptoms like chest pain or dizziness. Once you have the all-clear, Pilates is a well-suited, gentle, and effective exercise choice for managing the hormonal and nervous system factors that drive palpitations.
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