AFib and cycling

[Meer_Katz]

I am new to this AFib thing (4 days) but already I dont like it. The palpitations and laboured breathing are constant and my pulse is rarely below 90bpm.So how am I supposed to continue with my cycling? A short ride for me would be 20 to 30 miles and a long ride can be anything up to 60 miles. All the information I read says stay active and cycling is good for me, but u am concerned.

It can be quite a solitary exercise. I ride with friends once per week but the rest of the week I'm alone. Will I be OK? How high will my heart rate go? What if I have a problem whilst in the middle of nowhere?

I cannot pretend otherwise, I'm scared!

[Mavros12]

Hi,

Are you on medication to help bring down your heart rate?

I do understand how you feel as I felt the same. I also cycle but since being diagnosed with AFib ( one month ago) I haven’t cycled or gone to the gym for keep fit as I have been worried to do too much exercise in case it sets off my palpitations.

I have now decided to get back to the gym and do a class as there will be others there if I need help. I’m also on beta blockers to help keep my heart rate from having palpitations, so I thought I would try exercise again now but like you I was also scared and am still a bit to be honest.

I would not say it is sensible to cycle alone in the middle of know where. Can you cycle in more populated places to start with?

[Meer_Katz in reply to Mavros12]

2 years ago I was cycling from Caernarfon to St David's. I got as far as Cardigan when I was rushed to hospital with heart failure, pleurisy, fluid on the lung, and double pneumonia. Resultantly I have been on beta-bockers for 2 years. Unfortunately my heart rate has been higher than normal since a-fib. My blood pressure has also been significantly lower (80 over 55 lower I've seen)Reading the other replies I have definitely decided to leave cycling alone for a few weeks until I can seek medical advice.

I hope you can get back cycling. I have loved it since I was a teenager (I am 61 now). It helps my physical and mental health and when I'm out with friends it acts as a great social (cake!)

[AAJJTt]

Hi, it’s not uncommon to worry about a new Afib diagnosis. Have you been given guidance or are you treated at all for your Afib yet? You need to get that sorted out first, talk of anything else is premature.

It’s unlikely that exercise will make Afib worse and for most people exercise is usually beneficial, with the right precautions, depending our your personal circumstances.

Paroxysmal Afib (comes and goes) better to exercise when not Afib. Persistent Afib (all the time) exercise is generally ok, as long as your heart rate is under control, you are stable on your treatment and you feel ok.

From your comments, it looks like you are newly diagnosed and symptomatic. I’d discuss with a GP or cardiologist before thinking about exercise. If particularly unwell then present at A&E.

I was diagnosed with PAF following a heart attack in 2019, the former being the suspected culprit for the latter. It was all scary and daunting at first. However, upon treatment for Afib and cardiac rehab, I was right back into things.

All this feels like a long time ago now. I regularly cycle, as well as run. My Afib is stable with medication. I exercise hard (high HR) set within the limits agreed at cardiac rehab - monitored with a Polar HR watch. Along with daily meditation, I also have a PIP (extra meditation) to take if I have an episode while out cycling; this hasn’t happened.

We all been here, there is way forward, you just have to find your path. I would also recommend the Afib site on this platform too; it is specific and has a good community. It is also run by the Afib Association, who are very good. They do run a help line to where you can speak to knowledgeable people. I got support and reassurance there in the early days too.

Best

[Meer_Katz in reply to AAJJTt]

Thank you. At the moment I am back in hospital (for a non-heart related issue) but cycling is definitely off for at least a few weeks if not until the Spring. I normally ride through the Winter but I'm definitely thinking to give it a rest this year.

I am still hopeful that my ride from Carlisle to Newcastle in July 2025 is still possible

[Lowerfield_no_more]

I suggest you discuss this with your cardiologist who will have access to your medical history. Or at the very least the BHF Heart Helpline nurse who should have a professional opinion. Please bear in mind the vast majority of people on here are not health professionals and can only draw on their own experience if it applies, and what is obviously relevant to them may not necessarily apply to you, since we are all different.

bhf.org.uk/informationsuppo...