People with atrial fibrillation who are physically active may live longer than more sedentary counterparts, a recent study suggests.
Among 1,100 adults with Afib, those who got regular exercise were about 45% less likely to die of any cause, or of cardiovascular causes specifically, over a 7-9 year study period compared to those who got little physical activity.
These results suggest that moderate exercise like brisk walking for 30 minutes most days of the week could help people with atrial fibrillation live longer, said Dr. Christopher Granger of Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.
"People who are physically active have lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, lower body weight, and lower levels of stress," Granger, who wasn't involved in the study, said by email. "All of this helps protect the heart from heart attacks, heart failure, and death."
I had returned to the gym in February, a year after cardioversion and still in NSR.
2 weeks ago I went back into AF. First thing they said at a&e was ‘stay off the gym until you see your cardiologist’.... That’s in May btw.
I’m back in NSR and wondering now, should I exercise or not.
I was going about 3 times a week and doing the treadmill for an hour. Not running but always uphill. I got a sweat on but checked my heartbeat .... making sure it was going too high.
Well it is confusing. But the article seems to be talking about moderate exercise. Not sure if doing the treadmill uphill for an hour counts as moderate. It would count as intense for me!
If it's any consolation my first cardioversion lasted 3 months and I went back into AF sitting quietly after a lovely light lunch in a country pub eaten overlooking a serene valley in the Cotswolds. Not a gym in sight, although we had been for a walk beforehand and I walked again afterwards with the AF pounding and jigging in my chest. Luckily it was only a week till my first ablation.
As for exercising with AF, well, my EP told me you get 20 percent less oxygen in your bloodstream with AF because of the inefficient beat, so exercise will be harder work for your body, so maybe light exercise would be better for now.
Such a shame you have to wait till May to see your EP.
Yeah and I had to practically beg for that ‘early’ appt!!
Well I did get a sweat on at the gym but I can’t see the point in going if you don’t push yourself .... even if it’s just a bit. Looking round the gym I would say I was the one doing the least work....
I haven’t been back since but would never go while in AF anyway....
I will wait till May and see what they say.
I started running for a bus yesterday and then pulled myself back as I don’t want to go back into AF ....
I know how easy it is to push yourself at the gym especially if, like me, that is what you have always done. Now I can't and don't and don't think I should. The thing is to get exercise, moderate exercise. I go every day practically but only do about three quarters of an hour max of circuits. Wait until you see your EP and don't forget CV is really a sticking plaster and odds on you will go back into AF after a CV. I have done so twice and expect I might go back into AFib again before my upcoming ablation which I hope will be soon.
Quantity overload? Too long on treadmill? I’d cut time and speed. I need to use the treadmill to increase walking and stamina after a partial knee replacement. Used the gym a lot in the past but gave it up to swimming because of knee and back.
I'm 77 yrs. old and very active (walk 3 to 4 times weekly min. 4 miles, ski and work vigorously around my home) I suffer with Afib 6 to 7 times a year sometimes (200 mg of flacanide usually works after 4 hours) when I least expect it (when I'm not exhausted with stress or 2 days skiing and 3 draft beers. Exhaution & beer is my critical point).
When walking vigorously I have slipped into Afib but slowed down or stopped and it went away. This taught me to gradually build up my exercise exertion slowly and seem now to have no problem. Overall exercise has reduced my incidents of Afib, made me feel wonderful and I'm more careful now about overdoing things.
Go to the Gym and workout slowly until you're ready to reasonably begin more exertion and don't worry about it. It's all good. If you slip into Afib, it won't kill you I'm told by my cardiologist. Just stop and relax and if necessary after a few hours take some form of medication and lay down.
This works for me but it's your call knowing your own situation.
HI CD I saw this artice and was quietly reassured that my daily exercise regime was not wasted.
In addition to a daily brisk walk or three daily where I do breathing excercises I get out my mat the moment the news comes on at 6PM and do an hour of stretching and gentle exercise. It has done wonders for my flexibility .
I have tried doing gentle excercises when in P-AF but breathlessness makes it too difficult so I stick to doing breathing excercises.
I'm not sure if me walking my dog comes under vigorous exercise (although I do try to walk fast when she isn't distracted by furry beasts in the trees) but I find this article really interesting and reassuring.
It is confusing. I went to the gym regularly for about 15 years. I mentioned in a review that I was having investigations for an irregular heart beat and was told I couldn’t go again until the diagnosis was known. When P-AF was diagnosed, but not treated in any way, I went back for a re-assessment and this time a different instructor said I shouldn’t have been stopped and that he had AF and had done a thesis on it at Uni. I never actually went again as the next day when I went I was told the gym was closing down that week! Fast forward a few years and I was referred to our local Leisure Centre by a nurse at my surgery following my annual old person’s MOT. I duly presented myself there for an assessment and the first question was about heart conditions. When I told him about the AF, he said we couldn’t go any further until I got a letter from my GP saying it was OK for me. I pointed out that I had been referred by the surgery but that was dismissed so I wasted GP time explaining the situation and requesting him to write to the leisure centre. When we finally got the assessment done, he kept saying that all the things I was interested in were not suitable so in the end I gave up! My main source of exercise is walking now, not very quickly any longer unfortunately as also have HF now. But anything has to be better than nothing.
I attended a fitness course via YMCA called 'GP Exercise Referral Course'. It covered all aspects of conditions including AF. References and recommended exercises were taken from American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM AF section )using a sample group. Check out with your GP or local fitness centre or google ACSM AF.
That happens when they haven’t got an appropriately qualified instructor. There’s only one in our town & he won’t work for the local leisure centre because they won’t pay him for his additional expertise. He charges £5 per session - usually a group session. No joined up thinking or organisation! 🤬
I think a lot to do with your experiences is the possibility they would be held to account if anything happened, and ignorance of the condition. Being a Complementary Therapist of 22 years, you have to assess your risk. A lot do not have enough training or have been told to avoid certain conditions. 🙄
Benefits of moderate exercise and AF are well documented with the emphasis on the moderate and building it up slowly ! Max HR at 70 to 80 percent but not the crazy full on stuff ! Yoga, pilates, walking, aerobics all fine ! Stay away from mega heavy weight training, marathons etc ! People in their 40s and 50s training like a 25 year old professional athletes are asking for trouble, there is a good reason most professionals retire at 35 or so !
For most runners doing a 4-5 hour marathon is moderate pace. Probably 60-70 percent of max HR. It's a slow plod for us sort, not high intensity at all. It's my legs that limit me.
Following a radio frequency ablation I tried to see the cardiac rehab nurse but was told that service was only for people recovering from heart attack. She did tell me however that exercise such as running was ok and not to worry about heart rate but to regulate pace by ability to hold a conversation whilst running. AF affects us all in different ways but I think that advice is sound whether one walks or runs for exercise.
I was told the same when I tried to get referred that it’s only available for heart attack patients. At the AF Association meeting last year in London thee were awards for people running exercise classes for AF. Think there are studies going on, I hope so as advice is so muddled now.
So agree, I was told to do nothing which raises my heart rate as it’s always high but there isn’t much that you can do without raising it. Feel that when I get my ablation I will need help to start exercising safely.
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