Hi! Hard way, you have just discovered that physical activity is a very influencefull when cardiac arrhythmias are in question. While some exercise may disbalance your heart, the others may even bring it closer to the desired balance. There is no research covering this field, not that I know about. Not sure, but it would have something of to do with energy meridians, ignored by the modern medicine.
So, when getting out of the gym, you will never know what the result of your session will be. You can get out with your heart further from arrhythmias, but also closer to the onset of the arrhythmias. Often (maybe sometimes), the session may initiate an arrhythmia immediately, or hours after the session, so not easy to connect it with the exercise done. How to remain on the safe side? Simply, stop exercising. I know, I know, you will fight to death, defending your right to exercise.
I must admit, not to understand the logic everybody is following when willing to continue exercising with heart in problems. It may be the habit, usually bringing the feeling of pleasure (some hormones etc, been there myself), it may be the belief that you are doing something good for your heart, even that you are "curing" it with the exercise. It also may be the advice from the MDs, who encourage the patients to exercise, hiding their lack of knowledge about exercising when exposed to arrhythmias.
It is not that simple, as that the exercise is triggering arrhythmias - running, cycling, rowing etc. are actually contributing to coming closer to your first arrhythmia attack.
It's interesting whether exercise can bring on AF. I'm a cyclist (but NOT a racer). I started getting Afib in the last 10 months or so following a NSTEMI MI. So I'm fairly confident the root cause of my problems lies there. BUT I have a suspicion that cycling - or perhaps just a load of exercise - might trigger may AF. One thing that led me to think that is because I had one episode in the early hours of the morning (I always get them during the night) following a particularly long ride the previous day. I had a previous occurrence following a prior day ride as well. At the time I was getting AF about every 14-21 days.
However I can't really test that theory out at the moment: as due to injury I can't ride.
But then, I'm now at a place where I am getting AF episodes every 4 days or so.
There is a very understandable inclination for us to want to find the trigger for our AF. And thus a tendency for us to connect the dots between what are in fact just separate random events. Correlation is not causation.
The only way you are going to find out whether your rowing machine is likely a trigger for you is to experiment.
Just as a side note: there is research out there that cyclists in particular are prone to developing AF. This came from my cardiologist. But then when I read up, I found it really referred to 'elite' cyclists, and ones that were above average height. Needless to say, that is not my demographic.
It is an interesting question, why would physical activity trigger or cause an arrhythmia attack. We often forget that, in the course to perform a body movement, electricity must be generating in the brain, necessary for muscle activation. In Karate, for performing the blow able to break a brick, high electrical spike is necessary, which generates explosive movement of the hand, strong enough to break the brick.
When we are young, such electric spikes or electric activity in general may be very well isolated and may go unnoticed from other zones of the brain. With ageing, it may be that "the isolation" gets less effective, so we get to the point where the "consciousness penetrates into Autonomous Nervous System", making the problems of all kinds (arrhythmias are often followed by rheumatoid arthritis, IBS, GERD, fibromyalgia, hypothyroid etc).
As for cycling, we had a guy at the forum who claimed to be able to regularly stop an AF attack with 10 minutes bicycle ride. His pseudo-name was Julien, if I remember well. It would be interesting to know where and how he is now...
My EP is a sports cardiologist too and he said it's elite levels of very intense exercise (ie Tour de France levels,) not recreational/,fitness levels when I asked him about this. Best wishes 🙏
Hi, my info disagrees with what your EP says. My consultants have repeated ly stated vigorous exercise can cause a bout of AF. So how is vigorous defined, again from what I've read its exercising with the HR not going above 140 for a period of time if you're over 55. Gets lower as you get older. HR of 140 is easily achieved without being an elite athlete.
I think we are speaking about two different things. I meant would exercise over a lifetime cause Afib. I think you are referring to whether or not a bout of exercise would trigger afib in someone who suffered from afib. So we are both right (or our cardiologists are!)😉
perhaps, but the question was about current bouts of exercise
Also as I've exercised all my life I would say that unless you are monitored like an elite athlete it is easy for you overdo it. In my 50s the target should have been about 150, whereas I was often working at 165 or higher. This may have contributed to my getting AF later and I was never an elite athlete. Also where I feel your EP is incorrect is lifestyle. An elite athlete usually has a healthy life style and healthy body whereas many people who exercise/play sport do not and use the exercise to compensate for poor diet and too much alcohol. So any vigorous exercise with poor lifestyle may be a big contributor.
So the 'every 4 days or so' is where I'm currently at (albeit I'm currently on Day 7 of AF free). Mine nearly all happen in the early hours of the morning, so anywhere from 00:30 to 03:00 ish (some exceptions). Typically either it wakes me up, or I realise when I wake up to go to the loo (cue separate discussion about AF triggering need to empty bladder...and chicken and eggs).
I'm still really in the monitoring stage. So I make a point of checking it out on my Kardia (and hence also having a record). Must likely I will try and go back to sleep, though it is likely to be very poor quality. Later on I may get up say at 5am, recheck it - again mostly for the record as I know I'm in it. Now I'll likely also come down stairs and check my BP as I'm interested in keeping on eye on what it is when in AF. If I've got to this point, then I'll probably have a hot drink and make a note in my electronic diary (including my AF HR). Depending on time I'll either stay up or go back to bed.
Mine will normally sort itself out but that will often not be until 9,10,11,12. Not too long, but enough to ruin plans for the day. Esp. if it involved cycling. I generally don't do too much other than perhaps walk around a bit. I've tried doing a bit of a walk, but that hasn't kicked me out.
Sometimes I think my AF is triggered by my getting up to go to the loo (I once had it kick off at about 6am). But I'm aware of chicken/egg.
Interestingly the last couple of times when I've come down at 5am I've ended up having a hot ginger/lemon tea, and then (deliberately) semi-jogged back up the stairs. Only to go back into normal sinus. However, correlation isn't causation.....but it is a straw I will cling to for a bit, in the interests of experimentation if nothing else.
I'm currently not on any meds specifically for AF. In fact, I've come OFF the bisoprolol I was on post HA as the EP has a theory that could be a trigger - overnight bradycardia causing a response. Things have though got worse since I started that tactic. For now.
This is all good stuff you have written here lots of logic especially mentioning that maybe heart can be cured by heavy excersise even i have heard people think that maybe will live a lot longer lol..
I commented on here recently that if one was looking for an AF trigger, beyond, Food and Drink, one would look at other lifestyle issues such as extreme sport or generally extreme activities, I have read anecdotal evidence on this forum over the last 15 years that some people die from it. I'm thinking of an Australian Olympic cyclist, several UK marathon runners, mountaineers, even fighter pilots can acquire paroxysmal or any other type of AF. Their lives change. Why not throw into the mix ...... rowers. I guess the point is .... one does all this stuff and I bet ya anything ......... nobody checks their cardiac status first. Certainly there have been a few in the groups I just mentioned have died, some knowing they have AF and some were unaware.
My GP has told me to get exercise, and more exercise and she has recommended walking, casual to start with working up to brisk walking as time goes on. I was 65 when diagnosed with paroxysmal AF in 2010. Off work for 3 months, back to work driving buses where I carried on until July 2024 when I finally retired, aged 79.
My GP put it bluntly ............ "do it or risk having someone else wipe yer bum, in a few years time".
When you are in AF, walking around at home is generally no problem. Though I know from experience that it's not always possible if you are feeling absolutely dreadful. I would never set out on a marathon walk, but I must admit that I sometimes wonder whether the rhythmic thumping of our feet hitting the ground may put an AF sufferer back into normal sinus rhythm.
Your body will let you know what you are capable of, if you don't feel like moving around then don't if that's possible. Trying to carry on with as normal a life as possible is recommended, what is not is sitting feeling sorry for yourself and concentrating on what your heart is doing. Try distracting yourself, read a book, watch tv or ask a friend to come over and sit and chat. Anxiety almost appears to feed AF and make it worse, I know it's difficult but try to distract your mind from what your heart is doing.
The following are all the tips I’ve saved over the years, given by forum members, for stopping AF. None have been written by me, all from other members (names have been removed for privacy):
I am a therapist in private practice for over 20yrs.One of my therapies is yoga based. Having quite an accurate knowledge of anatomy, neurology and physiology also having PAF I have found this technique helps me immensely when my heart is fluttering like crazy. Make yourself comfortable either on a bed or lying on the floor, position a pillow under you head, Raise your left arm in an extension position as if you are doing the backward crawl. Stretch as much as you can and imagine that it is stretching your heart muscle...I bend my arm and position my hand under my head palm upwards.. Stay in that position for as long as you can or until the fluttering subsides...At the same time I think of something pleasant. It does not matter what you think about as long as it is a pleasant thought for you. This stops my heart jumping about almost instantly....I also place my right hand over my heart area...Don't panic and just keep calm thinking pleasant thoughts....I do hope this helps you. Kind Regards. C
As someone else who finds yoga breathing and some positions helpful, I would love to try (xxxx) suggestion, but lying down flat tends to make things worse for me. My most helpful position, taught me by a lovely yoga teacher, is based on a yoga forward bend. I sit up with my legs outstretched in front of me and a pillow under my knees, and then bend forward from the hips not the waist, with my arms relaxed but outstretched towards my ankles, and breath deeply and slowly. It's not so good on a full stomach and is more comfortable with your knees slightly apart, and I guess you have to be a bit flexible to find it comfortable, but it has proved to be a great help.
I agree with (xxxx) that staying calm and focusing on something pleasant is a must, and I've even fallen asleep like this as most of my episodes occur at night.
Finally, like AV nodal re-entry, some people have recurrent rapid rhythms that are infrequent and easy to self-control by using various methods to increase neural slowing to the AV node (so-called, "vagal manoeuvres"). Using these manoeuvres, one can sometimes stop the arrhythmia. These manoeuvres include:
Bearing down forcefully like you're having a bowel movement for 5-10 seconds, then slowly exhaling in the neck while lying down for approximately 5 seconds
Placing very cold (soaked in ICE water) cloth on the face abruptly.
Coughing forcefully
Rubbing the carotid artery (only one side at a time, never both) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There's a yoga breathing exercise that has worked for me before. Lie on your back, bend your knees up so they are above your hips and your lower legs are at 90 degrees. Take a breath in for a count of 4 then breathe out for a count of at least 8. As you breathe out, bring your knees into your chest so you curl into a ball. When you think you've got all the air out of your lungs, try and breathe out more! Breathe in again for 4 and release your legs out to the starting position. Repeat several times. It helps to reset the diaphragm and focus should be on a good long out-breath.
So, after discovering that making myself sneeze stops Afib. I have discovered another novel way to stop an attack. It involves drinking a litre bottle of water while holding my nose. It's especially effective if I experience almost panic as I can't get a breath. I don't always finish the bottle but find that's not always necessary to gain the desired effect. Works especially well if I catch an attack early.
A quarter teaspoon of sea salt mixed with 10 ounces of warm water. drink that and then put a smaller amount on your hand and lick it off. Within a minute my afib stops.
This may sound like a "wind up" but believe me it works, for me anyway.
I found if I lay down on the floor and put my feet up against a wall, it seemed to stop my SVT after a few minutes, not sure why it worked, but it didn’t work for AFib though.
Lots of good advice to stop an episode. Coughing sneezing, bearing down have never worked for me, don’t fancy the salt one..think I’d be sick but worth a try along with the water one, thanks
I was recently challenged when I expressed the opinion that swimming is bad for AF as I can’t back it up with ‘science’, so all I can say is that I have noticed that exercise that pulls on the chest such as swimming and reaching up to prune plants combined with breathlessness tend to bring on my AF, not immediately but often a few hours later. Rowing obviously falls into the same category. I seem to recall that rowing is one of the most strenuous sports.
Tried them all and to be honest it didn't magically go away.
So I went for a gentle stroll, got on with my day and like the last time within 24 hours it fizzled away.
Now this has got me thinking about the trigger
alcohol = no
nicotine =no
spicy food =no
stress = had a great productive day at work but in a good stress way not bad stress way
gym = yes
gym rowing machine 2000m = yes
As I go to the gym regularly ( did so pre and post heart attack) the only routine I bought back in was the rowing machine.
There may be no scientific evidence but I strongly think its something about the rowing machine .
my heart rate did hit higher numbers then I have been advised and prefer to keep within, but only for say a 1 minute second interval.
Whilst this may have not been an issue in the several months of rowing up to my first afib episode, I think as my heart has settled post heart attack and the scar tissue has fully healed maybe it no longer can tolerate these types of excericse.
I've got a cardiologist appointment this week so will ask him and to be honest ditch the rower.
Hi , I’ve found that going out for a walk can generally revert me back into sinus rhythm. I walk slowly monitoring my HR and usually 15/25 min my episode as ended .
If rowing brings on an episode then maybe consider what it is about it? Maybe heart rate too high during the exercise? I was/am a runner and started running keeping my heart rate below 120. Perhaps you could try something similar. Whatever your HR is usually during the rowing, cut it back by 20%. If that doesn’t work, cut it back again. If that doesn’t work then then it might be the end of rowing, and perhaps try a different form of aerobic exercise. I found I had fewest ectopics cycling.
I used to do a lot of rowing on the C2……and maybe it’s unrelated but I now suffer from SVT and occasional palpitations. Both are now very well controlled with dronedarone (Multaq) and bisoprolol 2.5. As a result of the medication my HR is now beta blocked with max hr probably somewhere between 110 and 120 and my resting heart rate is now 40-42 when previously it was circa 55.
if you were doing 2K steady state 24spm then okay but if you were doing 2K at an intense level (perhaps approaching racing pace?) then seriously what the hell?! Others have commented in previous posts that it might be the movement of the stroke that impacts on the vagal nerve that sometimes triggers an AF episode. I LOVED my C2 and how I could push my body. I followed the Pete Plan and had a resting hr of 38 at my peak. I was obsessed with not only exercising at the anaerobic threshold but could also crack out a sub 40 min 10K at the drop of a hat.
I miss the rower SO MUCH but I had no hesitation in stopping it and instead moving to power walking of 8:30 per km over 9-10km 3 to 4 times a week. I’m selling the C2 and reinvesting in a good treadmill for those cold and wet days. When power walking my hr sits at around 95-100 which is approx 70% of max hr and I’m happy it is being exercised but not strained. I’ve come to terms that it is time for a different stage of my life with respect to exercising.
Similar to others I have cut out all alcohol (now drink 0-0), all sources of caffeine, ensure I don’t overeat, drink 2 to 2.5 litres of water every day and get 8 to 8.5 hours of sleep every night.
I practice meditation every day for 30-60 minutes and that has REALLY helped to destress and maintain a steady state of calm and relaxation, even when not meditating. I use a combination of the Calm app, rhythmic breathing, mantras and a Shakti acupressure mat.
Yep it’s a real shame to lose the C2 but just like alcohol and proper coffee, I figured it was time to adapt and not fight it. I put on weight over Covid but now lost it all and kept it off. I’m probably healthier now (not obsessed with fitness) than I’ve ever been. Good luck on the journey.
Hello there, I have read that rowing and heavy weights are to be avoided with afib. Going back to when I did my cardiac rehab, the team would not let me do the exercise whilst in afib.
From my experience.Firstly yes the rowing could be bringing the Afib on.for example I decided to sort out porch & the bending to lift things brought on an attack.Walking is the best excercise.Just stop & rest if needed.I had a circuit from my house that could be 10 mins or 30 with my favourite walls or seats to sit & recover.I was fortunate that my husband would walk with me.Try not to panic and rest till you feel better.Try to work out your triggers & avoid them.
Hi casual visitor. Sounds you similar to me. I am alergic to excersise. I was a top cyclist but have had to give that up. Its got to me having to only walk short distances now. Im hoping that will become a thing of the past when i have had a AV node ablation.
Forgot to mention. I will be having the node ablation on 3rd of february. The pacemaker was pit in three and a half years ago. Big story why the ablation easnt done at the time !!!. Youve got tachycardia. It only gets worse if you are alergic to drugs also like me.Colin. Ill keep you posted onmy progress. You may have to go down similar route.
I forgot to mention also that my left ayrial chamber is about double what it should be in volume a d this is the reason i eas nevet a candidate the usual af ablation. I am a candidate for AV node ablation. All the best, Colin
Strenuous exercise may be out at least until you find some way of controlling your AF but exercise is the essential way to maintain your cardiac fitness and bringing about a level of fitness if you have been someone who does not exercise enough.
As someone of 78 with AF for upwards of 30 years, I now make a point of walking as fast as I am able each day for around 45 minutes as well as two other sessions of walking for around 10 minutes morning and evening, It has made a great difference to me, but if you told me to get on to a rowing machine or an exercise bike I would soon be in trouble.
The worse time in my life was when I stopped exercising completely for around six months after an associated illness.
I'm intrigued who or what the 'it' is who /that is telling about not exercising? I haven't been told that. I understood that so long as a person's heart rate and blood pressure remain comfortable and safe (i.e. no sense of passing out or whatever), then it's okay to press on doing whatever.
In my case, if I am out walking when my AF starts, my heart can go too high (~180+bpm) for comfort and the anxiety and fear this causes forces me or causes me to rest. Sometimes, I will take an extra bisoprolol (1.25mg) in those cases, but that is slow, around an hour or more, to have any useful effect.
I think a few people, I don't know what percentage, or whether they have other health issues, but when they suffer AF, they can have a potentially serious fall in blood pressure as their heart become too inefficient. Those few need hospital treatment.
HiI have PAF too, also with low frequency of episodes. I exercise several days a week (not during an episode but these tend to be in the night or morning), including quite often on the rowing machine.
As a thought, if you've recently increased exercise, did you change the amount or nature of what you're eating, and/or did you become less hydrated?
I ask this as I've not noticed any cause and effects between exercise and episodes. The strong links for me seem to be stress/anxiety, dehydration and food. With food it's a challenge to isolate the main culprits but foods heavy in tyramine seem to be an issue, or heavy eating late at night.
Also, ectopics seem to precede an AF episode, sometimes gradually over a few days - so they act like an early warning that I'm eating badly or am insufficiently hydrated. As others say, listen to body, not that I always do. (Checking your stools also is a way of monitoring hydration)
I'm not sure if you're on any Afib treatment drugs - or if you meant exercising DURING an Afib episode.
Quick observation from me!
I take low-ish Flecainide dose 75mg.
Prior to starting Flecainide (which has, overall, helped a lot) I could easily walk long distances and even jog DURING an episode and that would, half the time, help convert me back into NSR. So, exercise during an episode was helpful. Indeed I once walked miles to the hospital to get an episode ECG!
Now I'm on Flecainide, I am in Afib much less frequently, but if I get an episode now I absolutely should not exercise DURING it. When I've tried, I've tipped into much worse arrythmia (horrible) and I now understand that's the pro-arrythmia side of Flecainide.
Overall, I know that there's - in general and while not in Afib - a limit (quite a surprisingly defined one!) to how much I can exercise happily and healthily, and if I go over that limit, it irritates the Afib.
Best luck in figuring things out that work for you! 😊
I'm not on any afib specific medications other them apixaban.
Im on bisoprolol, aspirin, ramipril, statins as part of my post heart attack goodies.
I would never excericse during an afib episode, did you discover your defined excericse limit through trial and error or was it given as part of treatment and management by nhs?
Very much by trial and error! I guess we're all so different with the whole Afib thing that it's hard to generalise for a population.
I just started apixaban as I may have had a very mild TIA - I likely left it too long to start that, but accept it now as wise. I take statins despite the aches that result!
I feel I've had first rate treatment here in Edinburgh. Zero complaints at all. Indeed frequently happily surprised by attention and speed! But in the round I think we also need to educate ourselves and share experiences. As here, as you're doing now!
I like being very organised. I track everything. I can figure out patterns quite quickly. So I can be fairly specific. I've had to accept a few absolute limits and that's OK when the goal is lowest possible Afib burden (time in Afib).
Exercise is one of the few top of the list things I must be careful with. I was always, and still am, active. But now I know the huge benefits can become a huge liability if I cross a line.
I had no problem exercising (walking helped) IN Afib before I started Flecainide. (I do recommend it IF you can take it post HA - I wish I'd started it sooner - been on it 3 years or so).
My biggest helpful change in the past year or so has been to keep my blood sugar levels steady. I'm sure you'll be looking at that too after your heart attack. I've bought a simple monitor and changed some ways I eat, eating more healthy fats (I took a lot of persuading about that haha) and paying attention to carbs. HUGE difference.
To some extent I think when we have Afib we just have to accept our system is hypersensitive. It's of prime importance to keep Afib levels low as possible (as Afib begets Afib oc) and the body calm. That dullest of words, 'moderation', is unfortunately the uncool truth!!
A few questions. Your focus on keeping blood sugar levels steady. Was that an advised recommendation following diagnosis of Afib? Was that in response to you previously having problems with that? Also carbs: was that directly as a response to AFib or a general response to e.g. weight? At the moment, I've received ZERO advice from the medical profession on dealing with Afib, other than my own research. Previous blood-sugar tests have been fine, and my weight is healthy.
Also: you mention Flec and HA: were you given it with a background of prior HA or was that an unrelated comment. I was told it wasn't given to post HA, regardless, but I'm wondering whether to challenge that given that I quickly returned to normal heart function (55-60%).
No, my focus on blood sugar levels emerged when I tracked and analysed episodes. I'd noticed dieting (ie low blood sugar) was a trigger and also if I overdid sweet stuff equally so. Took a while for the penny to drop! It's made a huge difference.
I just learned more on the subject and took steps. I generally ate well but had cheat days. I just tried to keep everything more steady. I was pretty sceptical of lower carb diets, etc., but lo and behold...!
Like you, my blood sugar seemed to be fine (though only rarely tested - now with a £20 device from Amazon I can follow it way better.) It's also a healthy way of life and I've lost 13% bodyweight in a year. My Afib is down (on lower meds) from frequent to three mild runs of it it four months.
No, I've not had a heart attack (was referring to original post). I only started Flecainide a few years ago.
I notice you get night time Afib. That was my most vulnerable time too. I've managed to get that virtually eliminated - steady blood sugar levels, no eating late, and timing my Flecainide and Bisoprolol so that they're at good plasma levels around the "hazard time".
I can't answer your Q re Flecainide for you, sorry. I know it's a drug with warnings. There are alternatives though. In my case, I take a relatively small dose. The lifestyle changes have been more effective I think. Plus a Bisoprolol keeps the HR lower.
Good luck in getting to grips with it! I'm similar age and happy to share any experience 😊
Thanks for the reply, all interesting. My body weight etc. is good so I haven't really given any real thought to carbs. Post HA my focus has been primarily on sat fats and salt (my salt intake control has been very good for several decades, but irony of ironies now I'm on post HA drugs I can't even use low sodium salt in my cooking which was a part of my prior strategy).
Bisoprolol I've actually been taken OFF: which also might sound odd as I was put on it post HA, not for AF. However, at the moment one theory is that my sleeping HR is going too low and AF is being vagally induced as a response. I'm not yet convinced by that one but an experiment with a bit more time to run.
Late evening eating is something I should definitely look at changing. And maybe I should be looking at measuring blood sugar. What do you use, what are your target numbers, and how often do you test (I'm sure I can google it so don't worry if you don't want to answer).
I was told to rest until the episode ended by the EP who introduced me to having a Kardia (and smart phone!) and who prescribed Flecainide for me after I’d sent him a reading of my heart in AF. He prescribed it as a PiP, when it stopped episodes in a few hours, but now that I take it regularly I have been virtually AF free for a long time and have been able to reduce the first dose of the day and remain AF free!
Triggers are different for everyone but it's interesting how many 'episodes' seem to occur at night, particularly in the wee hours past midnight. I've not had a debilitating event like that since I was put on perindopril and metoprolol which brought my palpitations and BP down considerably.
I think many of the AF episodes which start in the night, do so after getting up out of bed for the toilet. I wonder if they could be caused by going from lying asleep to standing too quickly.
In my case no, because my symptoms began several min after I got up while preparing to take a shower even though it was still dark out & I had nausea while still lying down before getting up the 2nd episode.
The proximity of the heart to the stomach and other organs is such that, by the sheer continuous exertion while rowing, it’s now disturbing the NSR of the heart. There’s some information online and You Tube that tries to explain this possibility, as well as hiatus hernia link.
Re the comment about taking sea salt in water or just licking it, that’s easily explained because it’s the heart healthy electrolytes in the salt that’s balancing any deficiency in the body at the time. Whenever I get cramps after per longed physical activity (eg, golf when hot) I keep sachet of salt and it immediately fixes cramps.
The heart is a muscle, we are all different but many of us need to strengthen our heart. Furthermore many of us suffer from poor blood circulation. One of my triggers for afib is sitting on the couch especially after eating. Not only I am then at risk of converting to afib but I get cold, my fingers get numb. The beta blocker sotalol makes it even worse.
Exercise has to be done in a progressive way and regular. After 12 hours the positive effects wear out. After my cardiac arrest, 4 years ago I couldn't walk a mile without being short of breath. Now I do 15000 steps 🚶♂️ every day, that includes walking, swimming 🏊♂️, skiing ⛷️ few times a week in the winter and lately rollerblading (caution always wear wrist pad, elbow pad, knee pad and a helmet ⛑️, lean forward you do not want to fall backward like I did a couple of times lol...). Thanks to the heavy snow ❄️ this winter that cut my yard in half, I can't walk so much anymore, so I started rollerblading in my basement. I live in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. Above all, exercise, helps me to develop my slow nasal diaphragmatic breathing. I don't exercise hard, at the pool I only swim about 10 minutes, I have learned to swim the strokes without panicking anymore. Many of our heart problems come from our dysfunctional breathing. Here is an example to summarize the importance of exercising in slow motion. Because of my work schedule, I tend to do my grocery shopping just before the closing. As I rush, I forget to pay attention to my breathing and the supermarket being always a cold place, my fingers get numb. The other day, I decided to take my time and to practice my slow nasal diaphragmatic breathing while shoping I was amazingly feeling warmer despite the outside temperature of about -6 Celsius/20 farenheit.
My triggers fir PAF are over exertion when pulse rate goes over 128, dehydration, stress, eating a heavy meal late evening. Having identified the triggers I have avoided a severe attack for 2 years now. I have bisoprolol pill in pocket for when pulse rate exceeds a certain limit and am learning to live with the limitations.
when I get a AFIB episode my H,RATE is anything from 150 to 180 so I think it’s already high enough and won’t do anything energetic apart from walking steady and thats if Iv got to.? I leave anything energetic until im back in normal rhythm 👍
Sit quietly. Look at your heart rate monitor (Fitbit or whatever) and *will* it to go down. It sounds mad, but focus on breathing slower and more deeply as you watch it and visualise it going down.That helped for me.
you may want to consider an ablation . You can have afib events and not be aware . I was told by the cardiologist, the longer you wait to do an ablation the more damage to your heart . I got it done after a couple of years I too had just every once in awhile. Three years in and no afib. Best wishes !
sorry to hear this. A fib is so annoying. I have had 3 ablations and am down to 1 Ecv a year. I keep trying to to minimize a fib attacks and triggers. Last year I had all the amalgams taken out under a wholistic dentist. Currently I am on week 6 of 3 x per week Chiro adjustments-I have a concave area at upper thoracic which includes cardiac accelerator fibers -trying to reset the sympathetic parasympathetic pattern my body has gotten into. Also upped my magnesium and mineral salts and am working on posture just ideas.
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