Endurance levels

[Jean]

I need a little help here from those of you who exercise. I see my cardio the 29th, but would like some guide lines sooner if possible.

Prior to surgery...all my life...I could do anything anybody else did, but I would be unbelievalby out of breath and take way longer to recover than the others. In later years, I paced my exercise by heart rate and how hard I was breathing (sucking air). I just blithely wrote it off to increasing age (currently 57).

Now a year and a half post surgery, I am having a hard time exercising because all my landmarks are so totally different. I no longer suck air, I get my breath back in 3 to 6 breaths, I have no exercise induced asthma, my heart rate begins falling as soon as I stop exercising, and do Lopressor or
Avapro keep my heart from working too hard. In other words , how hard should I push myself?

I just got in from a bike ride where I pushed it as hard as I could and my groin and leg muscles wore out before my lungs or heart. I just don't know how to react to this. I want to push as hard as I can, but not overdo it. Either my muscles are not up to pushing my heart to 80% rates or the meds are keeping it down. Even when I run...I am maybe at 60% when I first take a heart rate reading, but it is slowing down as I count. Should I go harder...I don't think my old knees will go harder running, that is why I went back to biking, but I can't get the heart rate much above 50% . We don't have enough hills here in south central Michigan.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[hensylee]

First, I had bypass, not valve replacement. Many of us are on heart meds that slow our heartbeat. I take Atenolol to keep mine down, I guess so it won't overwork. I treadmill, but do it in spurts through the day; short spurts, as my cardio said not to do too much. Also, I am older than the rest (68) and maybe that's why he said not do too much. Others on the site, do biking, gym, etc and am sure they can give you good remarks on their recovery exercise. Did you go to rehab?

 

[Perrster]

Hi, Jean:

I am currently 16 months post-op with both MV and AV replacements. I completed re-hab last summer and absolutely went nowhere afterwards. (re-hab people should really keep tabs on their "graduates").

I finally joined a good health club. Ealier this year I told my cardio I felt I was ready to "turn-it-on" with my exercise routine. He had me take a stress test in the cardio lab. Technically and physiologically I was given an A-OK, but mentally the test was a let-down because there was no exercise program recommendations or suggestions for going forward with it all. I got a new prescription out of it! Whoopee!

I think endurance is something we have to build up to and educate ourselves how to do and maintain. While we are trying to get stonger our age is making us weaker! But you aren't old and neither am I. I am noticing that by just walking 2 or more miles a day I am feeling stronger. My legs are, for sure. I do as many 5K walk/runs as I can and I am not only building up a great t-shirt collection, but these events surround me with people who are in better shape than I am and inspire me to work harder.

Have you met with a trainer? Perhaps one of these professionals can review your goals and circumstances with you and create a program that will help you achieve the results you are looking for.

Hope this sort of helps?

Best of luck.

PerryA

 

[hensylee]

Perry, do you keep track of your heart rate? How high does it go? I think that's mainly her concern. Do you take any meds to keep your heart rate low? Congratulations on your re-admission to rehab. I think it is a good thing and you are right that they ought to keep tabs of you who participate. You sound like you are doing GREAT. God bless

 

[Kevin M]

I cannot comment on where your heartrate should be in consideration of your meds.

Later, if you do find they say, "keep it under whatever number", you might consider getting a heart monitor that some runners use.

I use one on our treadmill and a watch one when I walk/jog (hopefully running soon) outside. This way it beeps if you go over the prescribed bpm that you can set according to your doctors' orders.

Yours is an excellent question in light of the medication, but also through post-op recovery. Often, we're not used to having a cardio/respiratory system that actually functions, so it can be difficult to know if we are pushing too hard or not. Add those drugs to the mix and it becomes even more complex.

Please let us know what your cardiologist says, Jean.
Kev

 

[Jean]

Thanks!

Thanks!

Thanks for the feedback. I will just keep on pushing a little bit more each day until my appointment. It is just that I do not react to exercise in any way shape or form like I did prior to surgery and it is difficult to know how hard to push.

I don't know why no one ever put me in rehab. I was released from the Cleveland Clinic back to my cardiologist in Kalamazoo, MI. and he just saw me at 2 weeks, 2 months and then at 6 month intervals since. He knew I was walking from day 3 or 4. I had no permanent heart damage. But he never said anything about rehab?

I have just this summer been wondering what I can do and have been pushing the envelope ever so slightly from leisurely 2 - 3 mile walks to fast paced walks with about a third of the way jogging, riding my bike up to 10 miles a day and alternating on the 3rd day with weights.

I feel great doing this, but would really like to have a guideline to heart rate. I thought my 80% level was 145, but I can't get my heart up that high now and going until I am out of breath doesn't work at moderate levels because I am back to ok within half a dozen breaths. The highest I can get my heartrate is in the low 130's at peak. Of course I haven't really ran until I felt like I was going to crash, just until I was breathing a little hard and sweating (though in Michigan with the humidity that isn't hard). I would just feel better with a benchmark.

But I'll tell you, it is sure great to be running and cycling and not sucking air after 3 minutes. I love it!

Thanks again. I'll let you know what I find out when I see my doctor the 29th.

 

[Gail in Ca]

I am a firm believer in listening to your body.
I am on an ace inhibitor and have a mech valve done in '00.
I normally do step arobics and feel good at a certain heart rate. I tried spinning and during a class felt 'bad'( hard to describe, just didn't feel right) I checked my pulse and it was in the 150's. So, I backed off til I felt good and it slowed to 140. I know that this is a better heart rate for me and now try to not go over and if I even start to feel bad I slow down.
Gail

 

[joy]

AWESOME! I can't wait until I can FINALLY ride my bike without thinking I am going to die from all the PVC's, and breathlessness!

I can't wait until I can actually play basketball, and run, and ride my bike! I just bought it last year, and I haven't ridden much(maybe twice) since I live on the foot hills of the olympic mountains! I can finally walk in Seattle and not collapse from exhaustion, and go to the gym, and use the power bikes, play tennis, I am excited! 5 days until I am in the OR. Wish me luck!

 

[ALCapshaw]

Beta Blockers will prevent your heart rate from rising very much, even during exercise. My cardiologist advised me to exercise at the same level as I had prior to taking a beta blocker, i.e. 3.5 to 4.0 MPH and
3 to 4 % incline on the treadmill.

Before taking a Beta Blocker, I would slowly work up to a heart rate of 135-140. After taking the beta blocker, my HR would go up to
100 to 120.

You may want to discuss this with your cardiologist to arrive a way to manage your exertion levels.

'AL'

 

[Jean]

TO JOY

TO JOY

JOY, BELIEVE ME IT IS A BLAST...I DIDN'T GET HERE OVERNIGHT, BUT LIKE I SAID FROM DAY 4 OR SO I HAVE JUST BEEN SURPRISING MYSELF ALL THE TIME. I THOUGHT ALL THIS TIME I HAD ASTHMA...I DON'T THINK SO NOW. EVEN THOUGH I WAS ACTIVE, I WORKED SO HARD AT IT AND TOOK SO LONG TO RECOVER. I JUST LIKE THE NEW ME AND AM HAVING A GOOD TIME FINDING WHAT I CAN DO. I JUST DON'T WANT TO PUSH IT TOO FAR.

GOOD LUCK TO YOU AND GOD BLESS. I WILL PRAY THAT FANTASTIC DISCOVERIES ARE AHEAD FOR YOU TOO. KEEP US POSTED.