AHA News: This Fitness Instructor Had a Stroke at 36

By American Heart Association News

FRIDAY, June 9, 2023 (American Heart Association News) -- Jessica Diaz was amazed. As she took classes in barre a combination of yoga, Pilates and ballet that used 2-pound weights her body became transformed. And unlike other group exercises, she left the class feeling more energized than depleted.

That changed after the birth of her second child. She had gained 80 pounds during her pregnancy and felt that the workouts weren't tailored to women who had just given birth. She realized there was a niche there to be filled.

Diaz became a certified instructor and began teaching barre online and at a studio in Boston. After about a year, she shed the excess weight. She soon became fitter than ever.

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So what happened after teaching a class one morning seemed puzzling.

Diaz was showering when she felt a shooting pain on the left side of her body. Her left arm became weak. She felt pins and needles in her leg. She could barely step over the side of the tub. Then she developed a severe headache. "It was 10 times worse than any migraine I've ever had," she said.