HIIT exercise and Afib.

[10gingercats]

Is this short burst type of exercise suitable for those with AF?I would like to try it.Yes. I could ask my GP but he is so busy and I do not see him very frequently,thankfully. I would be glad to know if any older afibers have tried it.Thanks

[Janco]

Hi 10gingercats

I played squash for about 15years and my Dr kept on saying I must get another type of sport. He said the short burst's of speed in squash was not good for my heart and AFIB.

I did go into AFIB(mostly when it was hot and I was sweating a lot) but not that regularly.

The Dr also showed me a chart that showed that "high intensity- short burst" type of exercise was not ideal for an AFIB heart.

I cycle and run now (gradual increase of heartbeat) and have been afib free for nearly 4 years, but I cannot say it's just because of the type of exercise.

I also believe fitness level, magnesium, hydration, and stimulants play a big part in triggering AFIB.

[Elaine1951 in reply to Janco]

Do you mean lack of magnesium triggers AF?

[BobD Volunteer in reply to Elaine1951]

Magnesium is an important mineral in any muscle and some people find that taking supplements reduces their AF burden. My advise would be to discuss taking any supplement with your medical team.

[Elaine1951 in reply to BobD]

Just seeking clarification as your post suggested magnesium as a likeiy attributir of Af when reverse is the case.

I've taken magnesium and Hawthorne daily with great advantage.

[BobD Volunteer in reply to Elaine1951]

Not my post Elaine. I just interjected to hopefully explain.

[Janco in reply to Elaine1951]

Hi Elaine1951

Yes, I meant a lack of magnesium can trigger or help on AF. (Thx BobD for helping)

I agree with BobD that anyone must first discuss taking any supplement with their Dr.

There are many books about how important magnesium is for your body and heart.

[perkman]

I have been doing crossfit and Insanity and found them to be beneficial.

You will know when to back off but I believe the benefits are much greater than a risk of an episode of AFIB.

My EP approves of my training.

[Taiyoman in reply to perkman]

Same for me...avid crossfitter. Like perkman said, know when to back off but generally, I have no issues.

[PJR1949]

Just to demonstrate there are all shades of opinion, my EP told me that I must exercise regularly but not HIT, warm up, about twenty minutes min jogging, rowing, cycling etc, cool down. No squash, skiing and I can't remember what else. As I was recovering from a cardiac arrest at the time I've paid close attention but, as you can see from the replies, the advice varies.

[secondtry]

My recommendation would be to avoid it. I started my AF because I got it into my head around 60 that some short sprints would be good for the heart!!

[Afibsimon]

Hi Gingercats. When initially prescribed With AFIB. the cardiologist advised me that HIT could be a trigger or could have encouraged the AFIB to a more permanent condition. I would be cautious. It is not an exercise type I pursue anymore.

[10gingercats in reply to Afibsimon]

thank you simon

[Hidden]

What history do you have of cardiac exercise? Have you done Spin with an instructor who mixes in sprints? HIIT will not affect affect your heart rate that much but could trigger AF. It takes about 2 minutes on a rowing machine for me to go into AF, but these days I back off when it gets to 180. There isn't a one size fits all answer. I did a lot of cardio exercise over the years but I had a stroke when I wasn't doing cardio and I was relaxed. The television programmes that show HIIT and related exercise are done under medical supervision. I recall doing a Bruce Protocol treadmill test when my heart rate was in excess of 235 and 156% of my age related maximum, but that was in a hospital with constant monitoring by two cardiac nurses. In summary, if you have a good history of cardiovascular exercise includingsome sprints you are probably OK. If you are new to cardio and don't wan't to commit to steady state then HIIT may not be suitable for you.

[10gingercats]

Thank you everyone for your useful and wise suggestions on HIIT.I have a pretty much unobtrusive perm. AFib. I think I will wait until I see my GP and run it past him.At present I walk 1-3 miles most days,do Tai Chi and have a programme of exercises I do do at home ..stretching,press ups but I find the idea of HIIT attractive and with exercise ,as with a lot of other activities, if you like what you are doing it helps.

[teach2learn in reply to 10gingercats]

If you are in permanent afib, you should probably be getting advice from an EP (electrophysioligist), not your GP. I found the general knowledge of two GPs, and even a regular cardiologist, to be woefully inadequate for treating afib.

[10gingercats in reply to teach2learn]

I have thinking along those lines but not found time,yet, to deal with finding someone to discuss my Afib with.I am not in London but may opt. for Shilling privately inLondon.Thanks for your input.

[teach2learn in reply to 10gingercats]

Hope you do. I had advanced to full time afib under the care of GPs and a cardiologist but had to find out about one of the best heart rhythm centers in the US just a few miles from my home...from a neighbor! Once I got to an EP, got the whole thing taken care of and living so much better now. The medications were as debilitating as the afib, and really didn't stop it anyway.

[jondeanp]

I am in persistent AF at the moment. I know its there, but it doesn't affect me on a day to day basis.

HIIT is the one exercise i can tolerate. I turn up my intensity to a level i feel comfortable with and pause or miss an exercise if i feel my HR is going too high

Everyone of us seems to have different symptoms with AF though, so my experience may not be compatible with yours.

I do my HIIT at home and follow the videos of Joe Wicks "The Body Coach" on Youtube

[MarkS]

I do HIIT about once a week, with other exercise on other days. I was ablated successfully 7 years ago and the HIIT hasn't caused any problems. There's a hill near by which I sprint up on my bike for 30 secs, then I go round slowly and do it again 2-3 mins later, repeating 4 or 5 times. It's a quick exercise (about 15 -20 mins) and I feel good afterwards.

When I had AF I used to play hockey, which could be considered a type of HIIT, without causing or exacerbating my AF.

[Gezp]

After my first bout of AF earlier in the year I looked into whether I should continue with exercise as I'd always done sport, gym etc. I was encouraged by the generally positive messages from trials and especially a video on HIIT and AF by Sanjay Gupta (youtube.com/watch?v=X-hH3Nm...(Not working as expected?) and the study which showed that HIIT significantly improved symptoms/reduced recurrence. I have since started a HIIT programme following the framework used in the study and been fine on it.

Clearly for some it has the opposite effect but I'm sticking with it - as with all things AF related there is currently no silver bullet.