Exercise capacity level

[Guest]

I am 2.5 yrs out of surgery. Female, 58 yrs old, with BAV, replaced ascending aorta, spared valve. I swim at least 4 times a week, and get on the treadmill 2 times a week. I'm trying to lose weight, as I have put on weight due to none exercise when my wound was still healing. I was not able to do any core exercises due to the pain. Anyway, when I get on the treadmill, my incline is 1.5 and my speed is 2.4, now at 40 minutes. I would really like to increase the speed so that I can lose weight. If I try to push beyond 2.4, I get discomfort or tightness in my chest...doesn't feel good at all. If I stay at 2.4, I'm good. Swimming gives me no problems at all. However, I do get out of breath on the days that I feel energetic and swim a little faster. I really enjoy swimming! Does anyone else have the same experience in terms of their exercise capacity level? What do you do? Do you push beyond the pain? I would love to hear from you.

Lilly

All we have is Now!

 

[Cooker]

I am 2.5 yrs out of surgery. Female, 58 yrs old, with BAV, replaced ascending aorta, spared valve. I swim at least 4 times a week, and get on the treadmill 2 times a week. I'm trying to lose weight, as I have put on weight due to none exercise when my wound was still healing. I was not able to do any core exercises due to the pain. Anyway, when I get on the treadmill, my incline is 1.5 and my speed is 2.4, now at 40 minutes. I would really like to increase the speed so that I can lose weight. If I try to push beyond 2.4, I get discomfort or tightness in my chest...doesn't feel good at all. If I stay at 2.4, I'm good. Swimming gives me no problems at all. However, I do get out of breath on the days that I feel energetic and swim a little faster. I really enjoy swimming! Does anyone else have the same experience in terms of their exercise capacity level? What do you do? Do you push beyond the pain? I would love to hear from you.

Lilly

All we have is Now!

Push beyond pain, I would say not ... talk to your doctor ... now I take a cab to the bathroom so I?m not one to give any advice other than if you want to lose weight join us on the Throwdown

 

[rckrzy1]

I'd think you can do more as that is really slow. I am a wee bit younger and the same time out and I do 4-6 degrees incline 3.5-3.6mph for 50-60 minutes and feel NO chest pain or discomfort.

I am 2.5 yrs out of surgery. Female, 58 yrs old, with BAV, replaced ascending aorta, spared valve. I swim at least 4 times a week, and get on the treadmill 2 times a week. I'm trying to lose weight, as I have put on weight due to none exercise when my wound was still healing. I was not able to do any core exercises due to the pain. Anyway, when I get on the treadmill, my incline is 1.5 and my speed is 2.4, now at 40 minutes. I would really like to increase the speed so that I can lose weight. If I try to push beyond 2.4, I get discomfort or tightness in my chest...doesn't feel good at all. If I stay at 2.4, I'm good. Swimming gives me no problems at all. However, I do get out of breath on the days that I feel energetic and swim a little faster. I really enjoy swimming! Does anyone else have the same experience in terms of their exercise capacity level? What do you do? Do you push beyond the pain? I would love to hear from you.

Lilly

All we have is Now!

 

[Dina]

Well,I would have to say I push-carefully,and I push very little also.
I dont push thru pain though,just breathlessness and fatigue. Pain, I think
is a warning from our body and we should listen.Of course I don't know if
you are speaking of soreness or actual pain,sometimes we can't distinguish
if its a serious pain or not,so best to get the docs advice and then add that
info to your own knowledge of your body's ability.
Swimming is great,the best. I bike ride mostly,and feel much better when
I exercise regularly. When I'm lazy I start to get all sorts of problems like
I'm having now

 

[Eva]

Lilly,

It is difficult to tell whether your SOBs are due to being out of shape or to other reasons. Share your symptoms with your physician or cardio and if in doubt, have a stress/exercise echo test to find out what are the real causes of pain and SOBs.

I am 58 and 9 months post surgery and I do treadmill almost every day at 3.3 and grade 4. I had been increasing it gradually, and I have no pain and would get short of breath when I try to run at speed 4 for more than one minute. Reaching to where I am was very slowly, and I am still working my way more up slowly.

Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[dtread]

There are some unknowns here that make it hard to answer your questions. These include your fitness prior to the surgery and how much overweight you are. You need not answer these in this forum, but both of these factors would definitely have an impact on your ability to exercise. Level 2.4 is walking. I would suggest that if the treadmill you use has a heart rate monitor you should use it and see what your heart rate is doing. And if the treadmill you use does not have a heart rate monitor you should get one and monitor your heart rate while you're exercising. You should get smart in what your heart rate should be while exercising.

You need to cut out any junky, sugary foods (e.g., cakes, candy, pie, cookies, doughnuts, chips, etc) if you haven't already. Its like putting rocks in the gas tank of your car. Carrying extra weight around is like carrying around sandbags. Folks forget that fat is living tissue that requires a blood supply to keep it nourished. That is why an obese person will get much hungrier than a thin person. But don't try to lose it all at once. I'd recommend a weight loss of about a pound a week, or two pounds absolute max. Any faster than that and you screw up your metabolism. Munch on carrot sticks or celery sticks or fruit, drink lots of fluids etc when you get the munchies rather than junk foods.

If you cannot increase the intensity level on the machine, then try increasing the duration; i.e., the amount of time you exercise. Or alternate workouts by doing a relatively easy workout one day and a higher intensity workout the next time. You might want to consider finding a gym that has a trainer that you could work with. Costs money, but is money well spent particularly if you are not very knowledgeable around the gym.

Good luck

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0U5JfGYx4c

 

[COLLEEN S]

Easy, just dont push beyond 2.4!

 

[Guest]

I really appreciate everyone's input! Thank you. I agree with consulting my cardiologist, and I have already planned a visit this month. I never eat junk food and am basically a vegetarian. (eat eggs, and fish) I've cut down my calorie intake to about 1000 a day. So, what this tells me is that I do need to increase my activity level...but first see my cardiologist. I do not feel like I'm in good shape, but working hard to achieve a healthy life style. I would say that this surgery has really put me back physically. I will continue to work at it. I have also learned that everyone has their own capacity. It took me 2 years to start feeling good again after surgery. I'm amazed to hear that others do so much better, but have learned that everyone's experience is different.

Thanks again to everyone! and keep up the great work!!

Lilly

All we have is Now!

 

[BigOwl]

It might be a good idea to read up on some of the new research regarding metabolism and cross training. I've had good success with keeping weight down after surgery (lost 10 lb. in the hospital and have kept it off despite some muscle mass gain in the three months since) by doing a cross-training routine on my recumbent exercise bike. Most such programs involve alternating spurts of intensity, and this may keep your body burning fat after your exercise period. Weight training, even with light (3 lb. to 5 lb.) dumb bells, also helps. The information is probably available online, but be careful of all the crap out there that tries to sell you specific plans and the like. Prevention magazine and other health-focused periodicals that you can access in your local library are good sources of inspiration and information. But the best advice I've gotten is to concentrate on being healthy rather than on losing a specific amount of weight. Good, regular exercise will help you stay fit, even if you have a little trouble losing weight--especially if your diet is reasonable. Your cardiologist can refer you to a nutritionist and/or an exercise physiologist who can show you how to combine both efforts more successfully.

 

[ar bee]

you exercise 6 times a week (4* swim plus 2* treadmill) and consume 1000kcal a day only? Did you consult with a doc prior to engaging in that kind of regime? THis sounds almost like under-nutrition to me??

Support above comments iro prior fitness levels, current BMI and using HR-monitors.

good luck with yr progress

 

[Dina]

you exercise 6 times a week (4* swim plus 2* treadmill) and consume 1000kcal a day only? Did you consult with a doc prior to engaging in that kind of regime? THis sounds almost like under-nutrition to me??

Or It could be metabolic. I'm hypothyroid and can live off of lettuce leaves
and still gain weight
So if you are exercising alot and eating< 1000/day and still not losing...
..have a metabolic panel done.

 

[ALCapshaw2]

Be sure to tell your Cardiologist about the Chest Pain above 2.4 mph on the treadmill. This could be a sign of Coronary Artery Disease. Have you had a Heart Catheterization since your Surgery?

The usual guideline is to 'back off' your exercise intensity until the Chest Pain goes away (once you KNOW where it is coming from...and if it is safe for you to exercise).