Had an email from BHF earlier today about exercise. I imagine we all got it.My problem with "exercise" is that I can get get breathless.
I do go out for walks. About one mile or less. But not long walks. Always on the flat too.
I do take furosemide 40mgs daily. That definitely has helped with breathlessness.
I always stop and get my breath before continuing.
Also noticed I do get more breathless out walking if recently had something to eat.
I haven't really tested my walking outside since all the medical stuff, the heart physios told me to take it really easy and wait for supervised classes. What I try and do is walk up and down from the kitchen to the front door and back while the kettle is boiling, or when cooking. I couldn't walk a solid mile at the moment, so you are doing much better than me. Keep it up, after the heart op you will likely be offered rehab; you may even be offered prehab before the op. Best wishes
Thank you. It's not every day I go out for a walk. In all honesty it's more like a stroll.
We've been looking after my daughters little doggy which helps get me outside and walk.
Sadly the doggy will be going back during this coming week.
After the angiogram this Wednesday I hope to have a chat.with the medical staff about exercise etc.
Physio will likely visit you on the ward and start straight after the op, didn't happen with me because I was going for the cancer treatment. I have done a pulmonary rehab course before and that was great.
From my understanding the coronary angiogram will be day surgery. Part of the process towards the TAVI which could be a wait of 5 months or so
I have fluctuations in my energy levels, and 36 hours after being sent home exhausted in a taxi by the Same Day Emergency Care department I had to collect the blood-pressure pills I'd forgotten to order in time. I shuffled down to the chemist 12-14 minutes' walk away, found there was long queue outside (partly for Covid and flu jabs), got to the counter, and was told to return in 30 minutes' time so the pills could be dispensed. I strolled around happily enough, and even returned home by a slightly extended route. Felt OK then, but I had my own jabs on Thursday and am wondering how much of my latest fatigue is down to them.
When I did pulmonary rehab one of the nurses suggested that we think about having a daily fuel tank, and everything you did depleted that tank. The overall idea being that you plan the things you have and want to do so that the least energetic tasks get done first. This way you have energy throughout the day and have a sense of achievement at having ticked your list off. Easier said than done but worth thinking about.
Stress is likely a big factor as well, just do what you can when you can.
Yes, I think you're right
I can definitely relate to being more out of breath if I walk after lunch , I wonder why ? I thought it was just me.
I weighed up whether I should post this as I don't want to scare anyone, but decided it was better for people to know. These were the exact symptoms I had prior to my angiogram and subsequent heart bypass. I'm grateful I didn't push myself too much when I was breathless, as it could have been dangerous. Following the op i have gone from strength to strength and no more breathlessness. I still go to cardio rehab, which is excellent.
Thank for that.
I had my HA during the covid pandemic. I had no help with getting back to exercise. Four years on I struggle to walk any kind of distance, I used to walk for miles now I struggle to get up the stairs.😣
Hello, I can relate to you entire message. Same here in all aspects. Knowing walking is good for me am pushing myself to walk as much as I can, despite stopping every fifty or so yards.
Prior to surgery I was struggling, even walking to the local shop (0.3 mile) was a struggle.
3 months after surgery I started parkrun (5k) and, 16 months after surgery I’m still doing them as well as a phase 4 cardio rehab workshop every week. The cardiac physio who runs the workshop has removed any restriction on how hard I can work out.
You could try seated exercise just to keep yourself moving if you find yourself breathless with walking. There are lots of videos on line and I think on the BHF site. Although cardiac workouts are great if you can do them, any exercise is better than no exercise. 👍xx
after having stent fitted 2 years ago on 30th Sept, I could hardly get anywhere for the first few months, due to meds. I then did all the re-had sessions offered to me at local sports centre, I can now walk miles on end, swim at least three times a week, & nearly feel back to how I used to, it takes a long time to recover, the hardest part for me was getting my head straight, don’t rush & take things easy, you will get back to nearly normal in the end, but do remember you are getting older as well so not everything is down to heart conditions
👍
Take well meaning advice from all of us with a pinch of salt. Before my op I was given advice even by my gp which my cardiac consultant told me was dangerous. Waiting for a mitral valve repair my surgeon told me never to exercise so that I felt it was ‘work’ that this could be fatal. I couldn’t even walk up the street. Post op the advice changed, gentle exercise to start with and then higher intensity walks. Now (8 months later) I can do a 10 mile walk at a weekend and I’m working my usual 730 to 530 during the week. We are all different with different heart issues and severity.
We are all here to support you but don’t take our health journeys as gospel.
Keep in touch x
Thank you. Very sound advice indeed.
I am male 78 years and 2+ years after aortic valve by TAVI and pacemaker ( and one year after a hip - but that is another story )
My recovery was slow with periods I seemed to be going backwards ! Quite a mental challenge !
After the cardio rehab and when I had permission to try swimming - I went to my local swimming pool which is the constant depth type and tentatively tried walking exercises in the pool and found it very beneficial. Currently I swim at quite a sedate pace for one kilometre three times most weeks and try to walk 7 to 12000 steps each day. The build up was very slow but I really feel better for it !
Everyone is different - listen to your body but persevere.
Best wishes PLH
Thank you
I am so jealous! Like others, walking to the kitchen and back is enough to make me breathless and send my AF into overdrive. It's only 3 weeks since I left hospital newly diagnosed but I also feel you should listen to your body. Exercise if you feel like it, stay relaxed at home if you don't. Everybody is different. I don't think I know enough about my state of health to push it for the sake of it.
Yes, I agree with you. Sound advice
Yes! I also get symptoms if I walk after a fairly large meal. Maybe because some blood is diverted to the stomach? Having a break now after breakfast before I go on my walk.
I also find if I am hot this brings on symptoms.
I don't suffer breathlessness when walking on the flat but I suffer serious angina and I have also noticed that it is worse after a meal. I was on PPIs for a while but they didn't make the slightest difference to me when walking after a meal, so it is not a gastric problem. From what I have read it seems that both blood sugar and insulin rise after a meal and both of these are thought to be inflammatory which can affect the blood vessels of the heart and elsewhere. I have not heard a doctor state this though, so it is a question I will have for him/her next time I see them.
Thank you. Can you keep us informed of what he/she says please?
I will do Gooner, but I don't have any planned appointments at the moment. My last appointment was about 6 months ago and I think they said they would see me again in 12 months, but the appointments always runs some months later that what they schedule.
Exercise doesn't have to all guns blazing . I got to a sit fit class every week. In her morning class my instructor has 2 men one 86 the other ,90. Our oldest member in my class will soon be 93.
Our instructor gave use homework beginning of the year she calls them wake up your body. You go at your own pace and if anything hurts stop. So here they are
Stand straight feet slightly apart take a deep breath and raise your arms over your head or as far as they will go breath out as you lower them 10 times.
Shake your arms and legs to a count of 20.
Arms straight down yours sides and swing your arms side to side keeping your hips forward you twist from the waist. Count to 20.
Fold you arms so your right hand is touching your left shoulder left hand to right shoulder and raise them to shoulder height or as far as you can . Twist from the waist side to side count 10
Then reverse your arms and same movement for 10.
I hold onto my bed bar to do these or hold onto the back of a chair. Raise each leg in turn as if to try and kick your bum ten times each leg.
Next raise your knee as high as you can 10 times each leg .
Next go your toes as if pumping up a tyre alternating feet to count of 20.
Lastly sit on a dinning chair in the middle sit up straight and clench you bottom 10 times . Each time you do it you will raise up slightly .
I brought myself a set of static pedals off Amazon and do 300 rotations on them before breakfast . I put them against the wall so they don't move and it's done sitting on dining chair.
I don't drive so use the buses and local trains here as it's free for over 60's . When I got my pension this year changed it to a disabled one so I can use it on any bus or local train at anytime.
I know some places have walking football and there are sit fit classes all over the country. Sit fit isn't an easy option as you get a good work out. We do exercises sitting and standing behind a chair . We use weights on our ankles for one exercise. I brought my own as I can't had 1kg on my legs but have 500g ones . We use long resistance bands and circular one. Last week we did the conga up and down the church aisle .
If you think it's easy sit on a dinning room chair and march using arms as well for 10 mins to a good beat . Not as easy as you think . We even have to do bursts of quick march .
Hope this might help to you .
Thank you for that!
you are 77 yrs old and from what I can gather heart related issues.You are exercising on your mile walk doesn’t matter if it’s a stroll you are moving.Like someone else said chair exercises are great.I hold my hat off to you sir if I get to 77 (I’m 53) with high bp and tia’s .Be very proud your doing amazing.Enjoy your Sunday x x
Thank you so much. Looking after our daughter's doggy does help motivate me to get out.
My daughter has a sausage dog called colin je is nearly 9 he’s my world better than most humans actually.After a very couple of nasty comments on here I’m leaving this group.Stay we’ll stay safe was lovely to read your story x x
So sorry to hear you've received nasty comments. I was hoping this group of people were beyond that.
Unfortunately they were a lot older than me I make no apologises that they had zero in common with myself and made assumptions about my health lifestyle weight & exercise because I had a tia at just 53 I have loads of respect for the older generation my parents were classed as geriatric when they had me (41) mum 4(44) dad in 1971 yes I get fustrated about my Tia but if ppl don’t like what I post then don’t read it or even worse post on MY post with comments are very very rude anyway there are better groups out there . Take care x x
I was 75 while waiting for a TAVI and was exhausted all the time and out of breath I asked how hard i should try to push myself and a was told that as i had nowhere near enough oxegen going round my body I should not be doing much of anything so my walk at that time consisted of may be no further than the round the culde sac I live in after the TAVI i got a 6 week plan when discharged which started with 5 mins walk a day for 1 week Week2 was 10mins building up each week After 6 weeks i started cardio rehab which was brilliant I suggest you just do what you can manage comfortably and make sure you get plenty of rest
Thank you very much indeed. I shall heed your advice as you've been in my position. I just stroll. Definitely don't push .myself. Always have a number of rests. Its not every day I'm out.Yes getting plenty of rest is good.
I have my coronary angiogram this coming Wednesday as part of process towards the TAVI.
I think I may have to wait a number of months for that. Maybe I'll know more after angiogram on Wednesday.
My advice is never eat before walking. A cuppa tea, sure
I saw the the surgeon after my angiogram in November and he said March for my TAVI but it was April however I had to phone in and speak to his secretary if I felt I was getting worse My stenosis was at the severe stage.
Do not walk or exercise after eating, your body is in the process of digesting what you just have consumed. Therefore to do so the body sends extra blood to your digestive system to help digest your food. So less blood is going to your heart, this would put pressure on your heart and cause breathless.
Thanks for that. Makes sense.My wife and I had lunch at Marcos at Barry Island. Then about 30 mins later walked to railway station about 200mtrs away. Had to stop a few times to catch my breath.
Exercise 
Asparin - after breakfast or before exercise?
Take it easy v exercise
Exercise
Microvascular angina and exercise 
