A F and excercise intolerance

[Alphakiwi]

Last friday i walked 3 miles mostly downhill to the Kerikeri stone store the last half mile being partly uphill. We decided not to stop at the cafe since my legs were rather saw and i was a bit oit of breath. Luckily the lawnmower man was going back up to the top so got a lift.That night i was saw in bed and couldnt move without pain in my lower back. Im now walking around with a walking stick with difficulty. I know i get tachycardia very soon after i start excersising but i had forgotten how severe it has become.. what am i to do in order restore my ability to excersise. Has anyone else had this happen. I am also awaiting a decision to have an AV node ablation. I have the Pacemaker inplace. That was 3 years ago. I think i will have to buy myself a heart rate monitor and keep my heart rate down in zone 2 as i suspect that what happened was my heart rate must have exceeded the maximum for my age for to long. Im 82. And i believe i shouldnt spend to much time over say 100bpm

Thanks Colin, Bay of islands New Zealand.

[jeanjeannie50]

It sounds like you live on a lovely small island in NZ Colin.

My advice to you would be to do what you can, then when you feel tired rest. Also you need to build up your volume of exercise slowly. When we don't do much walking, then suddenly try to walk a long distance it will make our legs hurt.

In your situation I think I would buy a second-hand exercise bike and build up the strength in your legs slowly. You were lucky to get a lift back up the hill to where you live. How would you have coped if that lift hadn't been available?

Please don't go overdoing walks until your legs get stronger. I'm a lot younger than you but think even I would struggle walking down to the area you did and back again. The annoying thing for us, as we grow older, is if we don't walk long distances very often our muscles grow weak.

Take care.

Jean

[Alphakiwi in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Thank you Jean for your lively carying letter of afvice.. You are right about getting back up the hill. Thats all open and relentless and whith me in PAF all the time now there is no way of stopping me going into tachycardia straight away. It means i must always excersise on the flat or in a gym with control. I guess. I better get it right so i can keep on enjoying this beautiful part of thr world i live in. Colin

[OzJames]

Colin I’d forgotten to have any water on Sunday helping at a charity walk and sure enough I went into AF. It may not be your issue but stay hydrated it’s a big trigger for AF

[Drone01]

I’m evidently fitter and younger than you, but my PAF is triggered if I take my heart rate over 150bpm during exercise (even for a few seconds). It doesn’t start until I am in the relaxation/cool down phase after aerobic exercise and fortunately reverts within half an hour to NSR.

As others have commented, work up slowly and you may in due course be able to take your heart rate into a higher zone without triggering AF. I have found it helpful to monitor my heart rate during exercise and ease off if it ever starts rising into the “danger zone” that acts as my trigger.

[Alphakiwi in reply to Drone01]

Thanks Drone 01. Im going to have to really watch i dont over do it now for sure. Di you know of a good hr monitor. Maybe a watch. I used to have a chest strap and Garmin monitor but thats worn out now and really overkill.. colin

[Drone01 in reply to Alphakiwi]

I bought a Kinetik Wellbeing watch and chest strap heart rate monitor, which has served me very well in the gym and when out cycling. No fancy Apps and only around £25-£30 in the UK.

[TillyBoss]

You might need to build up your muscles especially leg muscles. Try HT Physio on utube he's a specialist for over 50s and he has some good material for free

[JOY2THEWORLD49]

Hi COLIN

So how was your session with our Dr Wong?

Has he put in fr an AV Node Ablation.

Did you know at cnr Mill Rd and start of Inland Road he builds motorised bikes.

Gee 1/2 mile of uphill and that's steep as I know it.

St John's are coming to upgrade my alarm!

They would 'cart' you back up the hill.

I've been in trouble with slight vertigo. Last evening the worst. Jaz the mini schnauzer had to wait until my head settled and then I coud only get 1/3 way, lost confidence and came back down. My St John's alarm around my neck.

Bisopolol I am very suspicious of. Different manufacture.

cherio JOY (NZ)

[Afibtastic]

Maybe see if your cardiologist can give you a guideline for your heart rate. I try to keep mine at around 100. I would think you should be OK at that but build up to it slowly over time. If I go around 130 or so. That can be a trigger. Gone are the running days.