I have had paroxysmal Af for years & felt I new how to handle it.Now a different story.Been in AF now for 3 weeks & awaiting echo scan before GP goes any further.2 ECGs show AF but last one not fast AF.Ok around the house but excercise the problem.I have excercised daily throughout all lockdowns & want to do same. Some days I can some I can't.
I really don't know how far to push myself and whether I will be doing any harm.I even wonder if the days I can't are all in my mind.Get breathless & feel exhausted doing excercise . Advice please.
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I have had Afib since 2011. I have a pacemaker and have had cyroablation. It is under control and I take 80 mg of Sotalol 2x a day. I will tell you that exercise is not great for AFib. My Drs here in the states not sure where you are .. other than walking nothing difficult they advise.
I've had afib since 2014. Typically I have an event every 6 weeks or so and I work out vigorously five mornings a week. I seldom miss a workout unless I have an event, When I do it's usually caused by a restaurant meal which is its own story but if I do miss a workout I feel far less good.
I'm not suggesting you do what I do but just to let you know...
The literature says to exercise mild to moderate. It's good for AFIB .... just keep it reasonable and listen to your body. If you get tired slow down .... and if it doesn't feel good, then maybe it's time to stop. All my EP's gave me that info, too.
Lots of permanent AFIB people say they can do everything they did prior ..... only slower.
I’ve been in permanent AF for sixteen years, diagnosed in my thirties. I still run and weight train, but I can’t do sprints or anything that requires sustained bursts like circuits. My cardiologist encourages me to exercise, for all the usual reasons but also to prevent strokes. FYI my heart is physically fine, just seems to be badly wired.
It was hard to change my expectations for exercise, and to find the right level for me, but I got there in the end.
I have been in permenent AF for five years. I exercise daily, walk at least five miles, swim, cycle and most importantly I can chase my granddaughter around. My resting heart rate is high 60's I have lost perhaps the top 10 percent of my exercise ability. I agree with Jaws66 I can do everything I always could, just a little slower with tad less intensity. I think exercise is important to keep our hearts healthy. I feel AF is not a reason to give up exercise. My medication consists of Apixiban and 1.25 mg Bisoporol.
I am in Afib permemently and have been since May 2016. My EP and I agreed not to try again to return me to NSR which is the definition of Permenent AF. To confirm my resting heart rate is in the high 60's when exersing it can raise to 115 BMP depending on the exercise. Brisk walking will be about 85/90 BMP. I walk approx 5 miles per day. Hope this helps
Yes، in my case which is paroxysmal afib , when I’m in AFib, my rate is high 130 which is very exhausting, I assume that because your resting afib rate is low in the 60s maybe it’s not as exhausting as mine, which could be a mixed blessing, am I right in my assumption?
Yes I would probably agree .If I try to push myself (slight incline or 2 min step challenge it will rise to 120 very quickly & I am breathless & exhausted.Resting heart rate before used to.be low 60's.
I was in Paroxysmal AF from 2009 until I went into Permenent AF. My Paroxysmal was debiliting with very high HR breathless and no energy. It ruined many a holiday and family gathering. When I went into Permenent AF in 2016 everything changed. Low, ish resting heart rate, no breathlessness, nothing, except the my heart rate goes to mid nineties to 115 depending on the level of activity. I don't give my AF a second thought now and I have been discharged from the EP in Liverpool Heart and Chest hospital and I have stopped chasing the holy grail of NSR.
Yes i think that heart rate makes a difference. I am in permanent Afib since last year with rate in the 90s. Stairs and everything very hard. And I am taking top dose of betablockers (10 mg Bisoprolol), no more is possible, they cannot get it lower.
I believe I am in AF all the time .It varies .when all this started just after Covid jab it was high for a couple of days98 ,102,105 .Now it varies .top 70's to top 80's.2nd ecg on Wednesday nurse said still in AF but not fast AF.
I think the best advice is to listen to your body. If you are finding exercise difficult and exhausting, slow down and do a bit less, but do it more often and that way you will build fitness and stamina. Those of us with paroxysmal AF that comes at random intervals, often with long periods between, can afford to sit or lie around doing nothing when it happens. If yours is persistent or permanent, or comes on a daily basis, you have to manage differently. However, I believe that exercise is ALWAYS good, in moderation. Best of luck to you.
I suggested to someone else that as your heart is already having a bit of a workout then exercises to maintain strength and mobility are more important if you don’t feel up to cardio exercise. There are lots of short programmes on the British Heart Foundation website.
Thank you all for advice .I will own up very worried doctor is doing tests to rule out left ventricle heart failure & this scares me.I guess I will stick with doing the local health program that they usually refer heart patients to .Excercise everything and raises heart rate gradually with a couple of pushes.I think Bob's advice of excercise & able to carry on a conversation & wait till I can get the refered tests.I felt so in control before it just scares me now. And I am very brave.
It was me that Buffafly gave the advice to. I had to give up pure cardio as it made me dizzy, so now I do mainly seated exercise with some leg strengthening standing exercise. I also walk with cross country poles...slowly.
If you are in the UK it may be a good idea to get onto one of the BHF phase 3 exercise groups - check out where your nearest one is. Of course they won't be going on at the moment but quite a few gyms have them when we are out of this lockdown. Taken either by physios or BHF nurses or as in my case both. It was wonderful to be guided through the exercises right up to getting back into the gym. You can do resistance exercises at home to keep yourself strong and you don't need any weights to do them just use your body. There are probably loads of on line exercises you can find and also a lot of the early morning workouts we have watched on the TV are suitable.
Hi the one I do at home is what used to be called Heart watch & referred by doctors.I could never get on it before lock down as I only had Paroxysmal AF .I attended it after my stents inserted 12 years. My doc was happy for me to attend active life classes & gym. Quite fit. And then 31st Jan I went into what appears to be permanent AF.This was the day after my Covid 19 Jab & 18 days into taking Amitriptyline for migraines .Could be either but both should be out my system by now.I am awaiting an echo test on my heart but in the Pandemic how long ? Doctor.says just do what I can & listen to my body. Call ambulance if chest pains. Managed a walk out today about mile & a half but yesterday could do half a mile to the shop.weird or what.
Just do what you can. Every day will be different. Walking is great when the weather allows. It may even be better for you to go out a few times for quarter hour walks rather than one long one. Anything is better than nothing.
Lots of good advice. All I can add from personal experience. Exercise, just avoid going into the red zone. Heart monitor might help. Look up max heart rate for your age. Moderate exercise, breathing hard but never to exhaustion. Cycle or swim I now find the best exercise along with hill walking. Good for mind and body. Best wishes.
I don’t think you are imagining this. If you are exhausted, stop provoking it. Will you be cardioverted soon or is that contraindicated?
I understand the NHS wait for echocardiogram is anything up to twelve months. If you ring for a probable wait time, you may need to consider a plan B.
Nothing is planned at all that is the problem.I think the GP is waiting for echo to make decisions.Also we were waiting to see if I am any better when either of 2 possible triggers are out of my system. Last 2 episodes of AF were June 20 for a few hours and Nov 2019 for 5 days .This started the day after Covid jab.but I had been taking Amitriptyline for 19 days & this can cause heart probs.I will ring GP in the next few days.
You may have to work it out for yourself being guided by how you feel and what is happening to your heart. Here is my experience: -
Had my first bout of AF in 1986. My heart continued to function pretty normally during bouts so that my resting pulse 55 -- the same as when in sinus rhythm. The very first time it occurred I was 28 super-fit and healthy and they cardio-averted. I decided I was not going to go through that again so I then the next time it happened I tried resting. I naturally corrected on the second occasion, but the third time it happened after >2 days I got fed up so took a gentle walk and it corrected during the walk. So after that if I had an episode I would take a gentle walk and it would correct. After several more bouts that stopped working and after a bout of ~8 days I went out on my bike and that corrected it. Then one day I was at the top of a Scottish hill and AF kicked in so it was either call mountain rescue or walk the 15 miles out. I did the latter -- no ill effects.
I'm 62 have always exercised every day (cycling >10 miles). I've been in permanent AF now for 2 and half years. On the advice of cardiologists I take no medication and continue to exercise every day. On January 2nd I did a 70 mile bike ride in about 5 hours an no problems.
So to summarise I'd suggest you follow your own body and what it is telling you. Don't suddenly change anything or do anything drastic but take things step by step and a little at a time.
When you are worried you feel breathless and you are super aware of your heart so it is very difficult to distinguish between what the mind is doing and what the heart is doing.
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76 years old with A F
apixaban and hematuria 
shortness of breath
3% Afib burden and proposed medication
