Hi, again. I have managed to get my home Cardio Rehab going and a routine that works except maybe it doesn't. It's 10 weeks since my quadruple heart bypass and for several weeks now I have been doing Leslie Sansone's Walk at Home for a Healthy Heart in the morning and then walking around the woodland walkway (1km) near my house in the afternoon. As time has gone on I have increased the pace and in the last week or so the distance (2-2.5km) always observing what the physio told me about aiming for 13 on the Borg scale. But as a result I am not exercising in my target range which I was told should be 103-118bpm (based on an ECG score?).
My Apple watch is recording everything and I have been unable to get out of the 80's and then I made it into the 90's. Adding a 1kg weight to the morning exercise took me into the late 90's and sometimes as high as 105bpm. Walking outside there is a stretch with a slight incline and if I walking fast I can get to 100-103pm for all of 100m. I have tried pushing myself to get my heart rate up but then I often feel unwell later in the day and once or twice felt fatigued and unwell the following day. I can feel it in my chest too. Is this OK and why can't I get my heart rate up the target? I was told it didn't matter and to focus on Borg scale but lots of people seem to be exercising at a higher bpm.
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Tillymint1971
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Yeah, tried this. Happier walking and doing Walk at Home. Love Leslie Sansone. There are quite a few videos with workouts at varying levels but I don't do some of the arm movements.
Thanks. So are you saying that my target rate changes? Can I re-calculate it (Physio did ECG score less my age and -30 for beta blockers) or that I should just focus on exercising? (And yes, on lots of drugs!) Reassured that you don’t think I need to increase intensity yet.
Hi, I was told at the beginning of cardio rehab that when I was walking I was to still be able to talk to someone next to me or if I was on my own be able to sing! Have had some strange looks!
Yes, sometimes my husband walks with me and we talk.
Hi. I'm coming up to 11 weeks post double heart bypass and, like yourself, am trying to find a home cardio workout plan that works. Have to admit though that I have given up trying to monitor my heart rate and instead focused on doing some form of daily exercise that pushes me without being too strenuous.
Hi - I had HA at the start of March and I’m working my way through cardiac rehab. I have a heart rate monitor (strap around chest) and discussed target rates with the physio, her advice was that while heart rates were useful to know, don’t get fixated by them; the guide to how hard you’re working is in your ability to breathe and hold a conversation.
Wrist monitors are also not as reliable a chest monitors according to posts I have read on here.
Hi there, I use a chest strap HRM, & a wrist smart type watch, the chest strap monitor is way more accurate. Check your HR while excercising with the good old fashioned finger on your pulse & count against a watch for 30 seconds. I can regularly get a difference of 40 BPM between the watch & what it actually is!
I'm doing the BHF cardiac rehab Level 3 video. I find this kind of exercise get's my heart rate higher than straight walking, although it's nice to get out in the fresh air. What's really important is to have a long warm up and build up gradually. This is stressed in the BHF videos. I find I can avoid feeling unwell that way. With walking I find it's a bit more difficult to gauge your effort.
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