Exercise

[RussellBowen]

Hi I was a keen bodybuilder until my first heart attack 5 months ago, then 5 weeks ago I was diagnosed with a hole in the heart and since all of this I have not been exercising and my body is really feeling it. The change in my appearance is causing depression and add that into all the stress about my heart itself and I’m really not having a good time, are there any safe muscle building exercises I can do that won’t affect my heart?

[Bazza1234]

I don't have an answer for you unfortunately - but I have learned a little something about exercise. I have a blocked retinal vein in one eye which has caused partial loss of sight in that eye. The blockage is "probably " caused by a heart related condition , atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). I have found this - (BTW I am a runner) , although the medical world espouses exercise as being good for us , it can be very hard to get any specifics out of them in regard to how much, what type and when. You will find many statements on the Internet from all kinds of people - both professional and from well-intentioned amateurs - but there is no science behind any of it. In my case, and regarding my retinal eye blockage, I have found a piece of advice that says to do cardio exercise (like running - but no idea of how much, how far, how fast) as it reduces blood pressure but not to do isometric exercise (like weight lifting - even pushups) because it increases blood pressure. Kind of sounds "logical" but I doubt that I would ever get a scientifically based affirmation.

[RussellBowen in reply to Bazza1234]

Thanks for the reply, my problem is the muscle mass that was there is slowly turning to mush and making me flabby, and there fore unhealthy, I’ve tried cardio but I can only do it for 10 minutes at a time before pain kicks in, so in terms of weight management it’s not helping. I’ve tried to use resistance bands instead of weights but again, to make any kind of development I have to do about a billion reps on each exercise to even feel it, I’m just at a loss because like you say everyone tells you something different. I was even told “don’t do anything which engages your diafram” which is everything really for exercise and then sneezing, hiccups and coughing too lol

[Bazza1234 in reply to RussellBowen]

We don't have to exercise a lot to be "healthy" - there are many fit people who are unhealthy and many unfit people who are healthy. Excess weight in the form of fat comes from eating too much for the lifestyle - sedentary people just need to eat much less. Then there is the concept about just what does "fit" mean. A strongly muscled body builder cannot necessarily run very well - a a top runner probably doesn't have "big muscles" The most important muscle that you need to strengthen is your heart muscle - and that means cardio work mostly, but only at moderate effort levels and times. Start with 9 minutes at a time - with sufficient rest inbetween bouts - maybe even just daily at the start and work up from there. Can you walk?

[trash_panda]

I used to do a lot of strength training so Squats, Deadlifts, Bench etc. 250kg + and it required the use of the Valsalva maneuver (bracing yourself and holding your breath) . I was told I could not lift heavy weights again but I could still weight train. I just have to use a third of the weight and increase my reps. So now I do multiple sets of 20 where I used to do sets of 1/3/5 reps.

You just need to take it easy and build up to it. But dont get anywhere near the point where it is hard exertion/straining to perform the lift.

However, to reach the point where I could use weights again I had to get my cardio vascular side up to scratch first, so I started the couch to 5k programme and went from there.

I would still recommend checking with your Cardio Doctor or GP first before starting any exercise plan.

[redcarpet123]

What about cardio rehab. I started it and was very good for me. I am now on to the next stage. In the cardio rehab you have cardiologist senior nurse, cardiologist nurses, keep fit people and physio.