Afib and exercise

[Krames25]

I’ve been in persistent Afib for 6 weeks now. I’m awaiting an appointment for an Echo and Ablation. The pills seem to be working quite well (Flecanaide and Nebivolol). I’m thinking of taking some light cardiovascular exercise as I’m sure making an effort to keep fit must be important? There are contradictory views on this so I’m interested to hear the experience of others.

[BobD Volunteer]

Exercise is good., Over exercise is bad. Listen to your body.

[jeanjeannie50]

Hi Krames and welcome to the forum. Some sound advice above from BobD , which I totally agree with.

At the moment as your heart isn't working as it should I certainly wouldn't overdo any exercise. Gentle walks with slight inclines yes, but anything that requires a lot of effort then no. Just pottering and perhaps doing all those little jobs which we always put off in preference to doing something more appealing. Certainly sitting around doing nothing isn't a good idea.

How is your AF making you feel right now?

Jean

[Krames25 in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Hi Jean,

Good days and bad days. On a bad day I just feel tired and disinterested. I don’t actually feel ill. Does this make sense? If I overdoo it I feel a bit light headed.

[jeanjeannie50 in reply to Krames25]

Yes, I understand totally how you feel. Take care on those days when you don't feel right. That's your body telling you to rest. Are you eating healthily and avoiding all artificial additives? You would be surprised just how much that can help.

Wishing you well.

Jean

[IanMK in reply to Krames25]

Hi Krames

I don't have AF but I have a high ectopic burden presently controlled by the usual rate & rhythm medications. I feel exactly as you describe and attribute it to the drugs. I try to keep pottering about rather than being a couch potato but weeding in the garden usually results in lightheadedness. Even cutting the grass with a powered mower is too much in one session. 😧

[momist in reply to Krames25]

If you are feeling tired and disinterested, the perhaps finding a nice place to walk and take in the view would be a good idea, to lift your spirits? I regard exercise as always good, but sometimes I need encouragement to take it. Country walks, a clifftop, or a beach always cheer me up.

[grandmadogs in reply to Krames25]

I totally understand. I have persistent AF and feel exactly the same. I seem to have more times with AF than without it and everything seems a lot of effort. Luckily I have 2 elderly dogs who have to be walked but extremely slowly, in fact it is more like dragging them along!

[hock217 in reply to grandmadogs]

Funny.....picturing that

[Hidden]

I guess we need to know what you mean by light. Are you on an anticoagulant? I was wondering whether exercise with AF increases the chance of an embolus if you aren’t, but I don’t know that.

[Krames25 in reply to Hidden]

Hi Oyster,

I am on an anticoagulant. I did play walking Football and I’m thinking of giving it a try. What do you think?

[Hidden in reply to Krames25]

That should be fine, unless your heart rate becomes disproportionately fast. Maybe start off being goalie 🙂. Not sure about heading on AC?

[Hidden]

I play football regularly on apixaban and have had kicks and knocks etc no ill effects ! Regarding exercise i have found exercising helps but i do hold back a little and give it 90% now instead of 100% also introduced yoga and pilates which are great for overall health and AF !

[Jonathan_C]

I would question whoever put you on flecainide if you are in afib.

Flec can get you into and keep you in rhythm, but that doesn’t seem to be the case with you. So if it’s not doing anything don’t take it. IMO.

But do exercise. Whatever feels good. Even if that includes something quite rigorous.

[Neerajmgr]

In fact you can reverse AF . inflammation is the root cause of all chronic disease. to find out the inflammation in the body u need to get C Reactive Protein (CRP) blood test . Try Swedish massage by using turmeric in the oil. Turmeric contains Curcumin which is soluble in fat. skin application of curcumin seems more effective than oral

My Father's AF , Heart failure reversed in just too months.

Morning walk of 30 to 40 min is enough

[Hidden in reply to Neerajmgr]

" inflammation is the root cause of all chronic disease". any actual data to back up that assertion?? yes, CRP rises in response to inflammation but to say that inflammation is the "root cause" of all chronic disease doesn't hold water. and curcurmin has no proven benefits - certainly nothing that had come out of the few trials that have been done.

[hock217 in reply to Neerajmgr]

A little baking powder in water, mixed well, increased alkalinity.

[Neerajmgr]

Pl check the following links

health.harvard.edu/newslett...

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

I have tested , skin application of curcumin seems more effective than oral. The trials have been done on oral application of curcurmin which gets destroyed in liver due to the presence of acid.

Just try once on any patient with some injury and inflammation , you will see the result in 24 hours

I am not a doctor and whatever i have written is based upon my personal experience which i am sharing

[Bobky60 in reply to Neerajmgr]

Curcumin I believe interferes with coumadin levels. I find that a lot as vitamins with high Vit K levels do damage as well.....That is main reason I haven't tried curcumin.

[Indigo42916 in reply to Bobky60]

It definitely does, as I was told to stop it for the anticoagulant. The same for ginseng.

[Bobky60 in reply to Indigo42916]

Yes it really limits using “natural” supplements etc

[RickyM]

I have permanent AF and go to the gym twice a week. I could never find anyone to tell me how little or more to do. I always, however, feel better after a session. All exercise to keep fit must involve exercising your heart and therefore raise your heart rate. Exercise of those muscles you would not normally use much in normal activity must be good for you and your circulation. I find the standard wisdoms like "listen to your body" on its own pretty unhelpful.

[Sean_C]

Hi there, I agree with Bob's and Oyster's comments above, namely 1) Do it, but listen to your body and don't overdo it. 2) Keep an eye on your heart rate. I don't do anything without my heart rate monitor on. These don't have to be expensive, I use a £30 Beurer watch - with chest strap because I find the wrist ones inconsistent - (from Amazon). It is a basic stopwatch but has everything I need including an alarm if my HR goes over a set limit (my upper limit is set at 155 and I back off if it starts beeping at me), however when in AF many HR monitors can give inconsistent readings occasionally.

I continued running and cycling right through my persistent AF (I have been in NSR since a Cardioversion in April) and found that it did help me, not least as a mood litfer. You are spot on though when you say that the lethargy and lack of motivation to do anything is a big problem. I used to take it in steps... just get the trainers on. Just get out of the door and if I don't feel like it I'll just walk around the block and come back home etc. 9 times out of ten though, once I was out of the door I found myself actually doing the run and enjoying it, and being glad afterwards that I did it.

All the best.

[Hidden in reply to Sean_C]

wholeheartedly agree. I also kept running and cycling during my AF and have carried on since my cardioversion in March which put me back into NSR which I’m still in thankfully. I use a wrist based HRM (TomTom) which is OK as a monitor although readings can be variable depending on how it sits, but is good enough as I can download the data into a recordabd see whats happening when I exercise.

as you say, just get out of the door and you’ll feel better for doing something.

[Flutterbird]

I have paroxysmal AF and I used to walk 45 mins a day or swim and sometimes AF would come on after exercise and sometimes exercise would bring me out. I am having more difficulty doing daily exercise since the ablation but when I occasionally went into persistent for a week I would keep exercising. I am trying to build it back up again now.