Recommendations for gym work

[Racquet]

Would anyone care to suggest a gym workout program for a PAF lady in late 70's

How much cardio work in ratio to various muscle strengthening equipment.

I don't trust typical fitness personnel to provide a safe program.

Thanks, Racquet

[Jajarunner]

I will, qualified PT specialising in cardiac rehab amongst other things. If you PM with more details and what type of afib in you (perm, pers, parox), I'll have a think over the weekend, off to work now.....

[Racquet in reply to Jajarunner]

Thank you Jajarunner.

I am a paroxysmal AF-er. A good percentage of episodes occur around midnight to 2:00 am heart is in resting HR. I play tennis at least twice a week on indoor courts so it's regular tennis and I play to a good standard. HR will go up to mid 130s but stay steady and at break between games, HR comes down nicely. I've had a couple of AFs after tennis is over and i am just strolling through a supermarket. I play golf also and have had to walk off the course with short lived episodes there too. I take Apixaban daily but have a supply of Flecainide and bisoprolol to use PIP.......which I always carry with me.

My BP is normal range; my weight is pretty ideal at 135 lbs for my height of 5'8". I don't have any other health problems mercifully. I have used a gym from time to time but get bored with it. I am finding now that my lower extremities in particular need some work. I don't like having "old lady" legs where getting up from chair or floor require assistance.

So I am familiar with gym equipment. My major concern is about doing the cardio portion of an hour a gym. Treadmill? Cross trainer? Bike? Rowing? What should be my target HR for how long?

AF episodes since having meds on hand have gone as long as 6 hours and as short as 45 minutes. The longer ones are the ones that have already started and wake me up. The shorter ones are the ones that I feel coming on or have just started when I through down the pills.

I will at some point probably go with an ablation but I'd like to wait until the pulsed field ablation ( Farapulse) is available. That's a game changer I've read. Revolutionary.

Again, thank you for your recommendations, Racquet

[Desanthony]

Find out if there is a cardio rehab programme at your local gym or hospital gym. If there is that is the place to go as you are likely to be under the guidance of a physio and cardiac nurse as I was when I went through this rehab programme. I was lucky to have both physio and cardiac nurse at the sessions but usually there would be one or the other or both attending these sessions at a hospital gymnasium. Ring your local gym and hospital cardiac department and find out if they offer this alternatively you could look on line to find out where your nearest sessions are held.

[Buffafly]

Hello, I am far from a gym bunny but had a newsletter from the BHF which included a link to an article about exercise and heart rate. As my watch shows a lot of variability in my HR as I do normal activities I was interested to see if they counted as exercise, lazy me. I am 77 and found the exercise HR to aim at was up to 99 bpm which was a big surprise.

Best wishes with your fitness program - I would be interested to know what is recommended ❤️‍🩹

[MarkS]

People in their 70's, like you & me, are supposed to do increased weight exercises to maintain muscle mass. So I spend 30 mins in the gym going round all the equipment at a weight I can just about do 10 reps of plus 20 mins in the pool for a bit of cardio.

[Jajarunner in reply to MarkS]

excellent plan 👍

[Racquet in reply to Jajarunner]

I don't swim so another cardio option?

[MarkS in reply to Racquet]

I have used the treadmill set to a 5% incline and a fast walking pace.

[Jajarunner in reply to Racquet]

crosstrainer, treamill on incline, bike, arm krank, rower, ski erg, stepper, aqua aerobics.

Definitely the weights. Choose about eight machines and do 2-3 x (10-12) reps but at a weight you can only just manage with good form. Do that two or three times per week. Do the cardio at a brisk pace where you can talk in staccato bursts but not gasps. Add in pilates, yoga or syretching and bobs your uncle.

Enjoy xxxxxxx