Living with a Mechanical Heart Valve: Click.Tick.Thump. Love It!
Artificial Heart Valve Surgery & Living with Warfarin: UK Info Support Group
exercise regime
what is your exercise regime? and do you miss any sports and what new exercises have
you started doing?
Views: 125
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Richard Deal on
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before this happened to me i did next to no exercise (only at the bar). now i cross train around 30-40 kms a week and try and walk a few hours a day at the weekends (especially hills). i guess the trick is to find an exercise that maintains a constant level of load on the heart...
i would love to say that i was a professional wrestler, but had to give that up or that i was an olympic weightlifter, but alas i wasn't!
r
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Permalink Reply by Danielle Schweikert on -
I just had my valve replaced on june 4th so right now I am doing a 2mile walk everyday!
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Permalink Reply by Racer on -
I do the stairmaster and weight machines at the Gym. This is what worked for me before the heart became an issue. It feels so great psychologically (and physically) to be doing something that feels like my regular self. I do some occasional walking outdoors. I'm trying to remember to incorporate taking random stairs rather than the elevator when possible. I gave up roller blading. It was partly because of the Warfarin and because of the high incident of wrist fracture associated with it. I work in surgery and I thought I was really taking some unnecessary chances with the roller blades. Do I miss it? Only occasionally and then I just picture what that type of injury would mean and I don't miss it any more. P.S. For anyone that's considering any weights or even moderate to heavy general lifting, remember to exhale at the point that you are lifting and inhale at the completion of the lift. This reduces stress on the heart.
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Permalink Reply by andy sheppard on
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I was very active before my op, swimming competatively & running lots and of course bike racing. The reason I had the Aorta Valve replacement came about because I thought I had asphma but it was my leaky valve.
My op was last October and since christmas I've been back in the pool taking it steady but working my fitness back up. I joined a triathlon club and cycle 40-50miles at the weekend and swim around 20k mtrs a week in a competative club just making sure i dont over do it but still pusing my limits.
I was originally prescribed beta-blockers as well as warfarin but now i've been took off the beta-blockers as my heart can cope on its own without trouble, allowing me to work to a high limit again. My blood pressure is down and my resting heart rate is now 42bpm. My weight is coming down and im nearly ready for swim racing.
I'm nearly 38yrs old and swimming better than i've ever done, cycling well and starting a running program, so pleased of my progress but its been nearly a year since the op so my advice is to steadily build yourself up but like me you may well be better off in the long run.
Andy
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Permalink Reply by Graeme on -
Hey Andy..
You are a credit to the site! Well done..Nearly as good as the swiss lady last year who summitted Mount Everest - along with her mechanical heart valve! Interesting you were allowed to come off beta blockers.. I have been trying to do that as well but cardio won't allow as asay still needed to avoid stressing Aortic Dissection repair.. but that was 7 years ago so am going to ask again! Maybe cos I am not as fit (!!) as you and a bit/lot (?) older..but I am totally impressed at your fitness regime! Fantastic!
cheers
Graeme
andy sheppard said:I was very active before my op, swimming competatively & running lots and of course bike racing. The reason I had the Aorta Valve replacement came about because I thought I had asphma but it was my leaky valve.
My op was last October and since christmas I've been back in the pool taking it steady but working my fitness back up. I joined a triathlon club and cycle 40-50miles at the weekend and swim around 20k mtrs a week in a competative club just making sure i dont over do it but still pusing my limits.
I was originally prescribed beta-blockers as well as warfarin but now i've been took off the beta-blockers as my heart can cope on its own without trouble, allowing me to work to a high limit again. My blood pressure is down and my resting heart rate is now 42bpm. My weight is coming down and im nearly ready for swim racing.
I'm nearly 38yrs old and swimming better than i've ever done, cycling well and starting a running program, so pleased of my progress but its been nearly a year since the op so my advice is to steadily build yourself up but like me you may well be better off in the long run.
Andy
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Permalink Reply by Racer on
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Andy and Graeme,
So amazing the level of endurance achieved. It is very edifying. I'm surprised about the getting off beta-blockers, also and I'm in the medical field. I agree with Graeme, probably due to the extreme level of fitness. I am much more fit now than previously, perhaps I'll have this conversation with the Cardiologist again myself. I do believe being off of them is probably contingent on consistantly staying at such a level of fitness, and if that changed possibly would need to go back on them.
My sister is a very skilled, very fit avid cyclist, so I'm aware, also, of the various risks for accidents in cycling. It would be advisable to Andy to not ride alone and to be in areas where immediate medical attention is available. Having your fellow cyclists aware that you are on Coumadin/Warfarin could save your life. Making them aware of how different an accident or injury could be for you on this medicine and empowering them to call for assistance immediately.
I applaud Andy's and others going after life with all their soul...and if we keep in mind the basic protections of avoiding injury and immediate care in the event of...we will continue to soar!
Graeme Archer said:Hey Andy..
You are a credit to the site! Well done..Nearly as good as the swiss lady last year who summitted Mount Everest - along with her mechanical heart valve! Interesting you were allowed to come off beta blockers.. I have been trying to do that as well but cardio won't allow as asay still needed to avoid stressing Aortic Dissection repair.. but that was 7 years ago so am going to ask again! Maybe cos I am not as fit (!!) as you and a bit/lot (?) older..but I am totally impressed at your fitness regime! Fantastic!
cheers
Graeme
andy sheppard said:I was very active before my op, swimming competatively & running lots and of course bike racing. The reason I had the Aorta Valve replacement came about because I thought I had asphma but it was my leaky valve.
My op was last October and since christmas I've been back in the pool taking it steady but working my fitness back up. I joined a triathlon club and cycle 40-50miles at the weekend and swim around 20k mtrs a week in a competative club just making sure i dont over do it but still pusing my limits.
I was originally prescribed beta-blockers as well as warfarin but now i've been took off the beta-blockers as my heart can cope on its own without trouble, allowing me to work to a high limit again. My blood pressure is down and my resting heart rate is now 42bpm. My weight is coming down and im nearly ready for swim racing.
I'm nearly 38yrs old and swimming better than i've ever done, cycling well and starting a running program, so pleased of my progress but its been nearly a year since the op so my advice is to steadily build yourself up but like me you may well be better off in the long run.
Andy
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Permalink Reply by Jonathan F Bushey on -
I have not had my Surgery yet, but it is scheduled for October 20th. But none the less before everything started to go down hill I was rather active in an odd way. I am a member of the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism) and I did, and hope to get back to doing, Heavy list fighting (armored rattan marshal arts form that's like boxing with an extra 50 lbs of weight on you), Combat archery ( heavy list fighter using crossbow or bow with special bolt and arrow heads like giant q-tip heads), Target and specialty archery. plus some of the dancing and other activities including trying out blacksmithing and chainmaille work. I will be able to get back to doing the archery easily by spring, but, for the combat stuff I need to make drastic changes to my armors padding, weight and the padding in the helmet.
Along with the SCA there is camping which I do with the group and on my own with friends and family, hiking, some mountain climbing, canoeing, biking on and off road, walking (my neighborhood is nice and the same can be said for most of the areas my friends live in, and there are malls, civic centers and parks to walk as well), used to go to the gym when I could with friends (not going to miss doing skull crushers or hearing the one friend scream recon at the top of his lungs while working out), have a cardio glide machine at the house that I was trying to do 30-60 minutes on a day, I play with my puppy daily (really shes my dads German Sheppard but I work with her and train her and so one and shes only a year old so one more year of growing to go), Shovel the driveway (not going to miss doing this this winter), mow and rake the yard (kind of missing doing the mowing this summer since things happened especially since my brother doesn't take pride in my dads yard like I do, the raking... not going to miss having to haul all the leaves and pine needles to the road for the town to pick up or fixing the edge of the front yard where the town destroys it collecting everything from the street), splitting wood for the fire place and stoking the fire place (well to be honest I hate having to hand split the hard wood but will miss the chance at working on arm and upper body strength and will definitely miss stocking and stoking the fire place until late winter).
With any luck and lots of hope and support from my friends I hope and have full intentions of getting back to all of these activities and more once all is done and I am healed to the point that I can start doing them again. On a side note I do work with friends, carry equipment and do paranormal investigations and will miss out this fall and winter and have missed out on a lot this summer due to having been in CHF and now needing the valve replaced.
I will let you know how things work out after surgery.
~ Jon
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Permalink Reply by Graeme on
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Hey Jonathon
Wow! You made me tired reading all your pursuits..(!!) I like your determination to get right back on your bike - so as to speak - after the op and build yourself back up again..but you will do it..it takes a while to recover from the op but the main thing is to do it in stages as your body heals..you will know your limits and as you get better you will be able to move the program forward...take care and keep us all posted!
Cheers
Graeme
Jonathan F Bushey said:I have not had my Surgery yet, but it is scheduled for October 20th. But none the less before everything started to go down hill I was rather active in an odd way. I am a member of the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism) and I did, and hope to get back to doing, Heavy list fighting (armored rattan marshal arts form that's like boxing with an extra 50 lbs of weight on you), Combat archery ( heavy list fighter using crossbow or bow with special bolt and arrow heads like giant q-tip heads), Target and specialty archery. plus some of the dancing and other activities including trying out blacksmithing and chainmaille work. I will be able to get back to doing the archery easily by spring, but, for the combat stuff I need to make drastic changes to my armors padding, weight and the padding in the helmet.
Along with the SCA there is camping which I do with the group and on my own with friends and family, hiking, some mountain climbing, canoeing, biking on and off road, walking (my neighborhood is nice and the same can be said for most of the areas my friends live in, and there are malls, civic centers and parks to walk as well), used to go to the gym when I could with friends (not going to miss doing skull crushers or hearing the one friend scream recon at the top of his lungs while working out), have a cardio glide machine at the house that I was trying to do 30-60 minutes on a day, I play with my puppy daily (really shes my dads German Sheppard but I work with her and train her and so one and shes only a year old so one more year of growing to go), Shovel the driveway (not going to miss doing this this winter), mow and rake the yard (kind of missing doing the mowing this summer since things happened especially since my brother doesn't take pride in my dads yard like I do, the raking... not going to miss having to haul all the leaves and pine needles to the road for the town to pick up or fixing the edge of the front yard where the town destroys it collecting everything from the street), splitting wood for the fire place and stoking the fire place (well to be honest I hate having to hand split the hard wood but will miss the chance at working on arm and upper body strength and will definitely miss stocking and stoking the fire place until late winter).
With any luck and lots of hope and support from my friends I hope and have full intentions of getting back to all of these activities and more once all is done and I am healed to the point that I can start doing them again. On a side note I do work with friends, carry equipment and do paranormal investigations and will miss out this fall and winter and have missed out on a lot this summer due to having been in CHF and now needing the valve replaced.
I will let you know how things work out after surgery.
~ Jon
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Permalink Reply by Donna Doreen Vank on
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Hi Everyone
I am new to the site, I just had my aeortic valve replaced with a St Jude's MHV on June 20th/11. I had not been able to do much walking or any real exercise for a few years before my surgery. Due to many other surgeries as I am a 3x breast cancer survivor as well since 1985, 1987 & 2008. I have some other physical challenges that limit my exercising however with that said my main goal in exercising for me is to just start out with walking and lots of it, up and down hills, stairs etc. However when I walk I find that I get out of breath quickly, my legs ache and I have to stop alot before I go on. 7 weeks after surgery has anyone else been short of breath when walking and had achy legs? Thank you Donna
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Permalink Reply by Mike Mahler on -
Well, I was doing sprint triathlons when all this happened. Dr. said I got very lucky. While in the hospital I made the comitment to get right back out there, as soon as I could, so I walked around the floor I was on 4 times day 2-3, 6 times on day 4, and then 7 times twice around on days 5-6.
When I got home I started with a half mile each dsy for first week, then moved up,. By the second week home I was doing 2 miles a day. Still doing cardiac therapy, and then walk or swim the other days. Bikeing some too, 10-15 miles at a time. Entered a 1/2 marathon next may for my aniversary, see how that goes. I tweeked my ankle so that has slowed me last few weeks... and my blood pressure is back up, so I see the Dr. next week about that.
Thats my workout stuff... hope it helps
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