Clarrie never imagined that a blood pressure reading could change her life for the better. But when she made a surprising discovery about her health, instead of letting it get her down, she took action.

Clarrie had the chance to take her blood pressure at one of our community events. She had never had any trouble in the past, so she was expecting a normal reading. But this time, the numbers looked high. High blood pressure, or hypertension, can increase the risk of having a stroke, but positive lifestyle changes can help. 

After speaking with a Proactive Care Nurse about her options, Clarrie tackled the problem head-on, starting with cutting down on drinking. “I like a lime and soda, or I’ve discovered that Guinness Zero is absolutely gorgeous!” 

Clarrie has been working on improving her lifestyle for just five months, and has managed to bring her blood pressure back within the normal range. Already a keen cyclist with the Active Travel Hub, she had a look around to see what else there might be in the community. Pilates classes have helped with core strength, and she’s even surprised herself as a convert to yoga. “You come out feeling about four feet taller!” she tells me. Making lifestyle changes has had a knock-on effect…

“I’ve gone down two and a half dress sizes.” Clarrie

For Clarrie, some healthy weight loss has been transformative, improving her neck and knee pain, as well as her respiratory health. Finding out she had high blood pressure turned out to be the push she needed to take action; “[it] has been a really good catalyst for me to make some amazing positive changes, and it means that now I can get on my gorgeous bike that I got from the Cycle to Work scheme and buzz around.”

Despite facing challenges in her personal life that might have made it tempting to slip back into old habits, Clarrie’s determined to keep going. “I don’t want [to have a stroke], and I don’t want that for anyone I know.” Her zest for life is infectious. 

“My role is all about getting people to say yes to life and then helping them do that. I love what I do, […] and I just want to keep doing that for a long time.” Clarrie