Lets talk rehab limitations:

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Hot Rod Harry

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 26, 2006
Messages
214
Location
Michigan
I just finished my 3rd week of rehab.. I've been walking for 60 min straight, on the treadmill, walking as fast as 4.5 mph, but average 4 mph @ 2% grade. My pulse at 4 mph averages 140-143.

I have been progressing along great, without issue, and I have been progressively building up my running. Starting at 1 min, 2 min, 2.5 min (176 BPM). Yesterday I decided that I would end my walking with 5 min of running. As I am running (feeling great), I noticed that my HR is 171, this was at 5.4 MPH. The rehab techs came over and lowered my speed, and said I needed to lower my HR.

After finishing, they told me everything looked great, but that I should keep it in the HR in the 150 range.. "remember, you just had OHS" "Ya, I feel great, and I'm trying to forget that"..

Am I pushing my limits? I feel GREAT after my workouts. I do tend to be self motivated, and push myself.. I went to rehab so that I could push myself beyond what my paranoid self would allow me to do at home..

Is anyone else running in rehab? I am almost 8 weeks post op. I'm 44 years old, and have always been active and athletic. I feel great, and I have already been forcing myself for weeks to ease back on being as active as I would like to be. At what point can I turn up the wick, and push myself, without limits? I don't need to take myself to 100%, but 80-85% would be acceptable. I cant help but laugh at the HR rate limits that they have, based on age.. Other than my heart, I'm in better shape physically than most 44 year olds. I feel more like 35.

Someone talk some sense into me, or tell me that I'm on the right path.. I'm feeling like I'm being restricted, and limited, when my body is ready to move on to bigger and better things..
 
Great that you're doing so well, congrats! However, this is just an old-timer's perspective, ignore it if you want. In the words of the lyrics,

"Slow down, you're going too fast; got to make the morning last."

I would heed the rehab nurses and guard against an inclination to push past the limits this early in your rehab. Good as you're feeling, your cardio system nevertheless is not completely mended. Work out sure, but give it time.
 
I pushed it and did myself no harm. I am not physically active, but had surgery on the 6th, spent two days in ICU sedated and on vent because of fluid in/around my lungs, was released on the 12th, and was working on the 13th. Admittedly, I was only doing e-mails and telephone, and other computer stuff, and I was having naps, too. I opened my first retail store on the first of the next month, 3 weeks after surgery, and was there 8 hours/day; fortunatley, DH managed to go in some days, so I did have a bit more rest time than if I had returned to a full-time job. As neither of us drive, I took public buses, almost from the day I got home. The only thing that changed for me was that I took my heart hug pillow with me everywhere I went until about Christmas!

So, I say go for it!!!! If you feel it is too much, slow it down a bit.
 
hiya,glad ur doin well,but remember you have had a major op,my cardio who is the greatest told me,its a full 6 month before your 100 per cent,now i guess he knows more than me on the subject,for what its worth your doing great,but dont go overboard,take note of what there telling you,there usually right lol,no doubt you will get someone saying oh yea i was running marathons 1 week after,whatever,anyway brill that ur doin just great,.....neil
 
At 8 weeks out, your overdoing it a bit. You may be ok, but I'd hate to see you screw up and backslide back into presurgical shape.
 
Take it slo, bro. Stay with the 150ish max for a couple more weeks and start inching it up a week at a time so that you're at 160 at 12 weeks and 170ish after 15. You're used to training with a HR monitor, I presume. If so, you know when you're doing too much. Observe how you recover from the harder workouts and if you're getting say more abnormal ryhthms or increased light headedness, you should cut back a bit. You'll be doing LT workouts again before you know it. No need to rush it. I didn't do rehab; I did my own thing and I probably rushed it too much. But I was already very in tune with my body and my abilities as it sounds like you are. By 3 - 4 months I was doing max HR workouts and crawling my way back into shape on the bike and in the gym. I liked the advice my cardio gave me after 8 weeks. "No limitations....just don't be an idiot."
 
I was running at 6 weeks, 3 miles...did not have any HR limitations. Go with how you feel, but rememebr there will be set backs along the way....
 
Pushing It

Pushing It

Hi Harry,

I pushed the envelope and didn't suffer any major negative affects, but I recommend that you take your time and follow the advice of the people running your program. Remember, you're in this for the "long run" (pardon the pun). You don't need to be in a hurry.

I am glad to hear that your rehab program is going so well.

-Philip
 
Three and a half weeks after surgery, one day I decided to increase the pacing of my walks. My wife (a slow walker) said that she could not keep up with me. I don't know if that was a mistake, but that evening I felt a bradycardia that after a couple of minutes became a taquicardia. I ended up back at the hospital for a couple of days.

I am over six weeks post-op and a little afraid of not overdoing it. I walk 3 times a day for a total of 100 minutes at a modest pace on level ground. Last week I went back to my teaching job, four blocks away from home. The problem is that I have to walk up and down hills (I live in the Andes mountains!). For instance, in one single block I have to climb the equivalent of climbing five or six stories in a building. How long should I take for such a climb?

Juan
 
Hey Hot Rod,
You just had your finely-tuned engine rebuilt. Give it a little time for all the new parts to break in (and heal) before you put the "pedal to the metal". That way everything will have a chance to heal up just right and run at top speed a little later when the real race (like the rest of your life) starts.

There are some people that think you should run a new engine at it's full potential including high revs right after a rebuild, but that's for racing engines that get rebuilt after every race. You don't want to got back for a rebuild anytime soon do you?

I say follow your rehab staff's advice and after a good break-in period then you can push your engine to its max.

Take care,
John
 
I recovered best at work.

I own a couple of marine dealerships and I had a real hard time sitting at home. I have a great staff and they did not need me for the day to day stuff. I needed to be at the store, I had real anxiety being away.

I worked at my desk, took calls, talked with a few customers, and did email for second half of the day 8 days after surgery. I continued to alternate half days for a couple of weeks and then returned back to work full time after 19 days.
I've never doubted that it was the right way for me.

A point driven home by my Cardio, after Nanc had blown the whistle on me to him, he just looked me in the eye and asked; "You don't want to do this again do you?"

I said "No Sir"

He responded, "Frig around too much, and you get to go again...if you survive."

I think everyone is different in how they go about their recovery.

You need to be willing to listen to your body everyday, I still do.

Rob.
 
Ok, due to the overwhelming majority, I'm going to stop the running, and just keep things in the 150 range. I didn't feel that I was overdoing it, but I'm going to error on the side of caution.

I need to stay healthy, so I can return to work, which will be a whole different challenge. If you've ever driven in Chicago traffic, then you know what kinda stress that can be. That can end up being an all day thing..

Resting up this weekend, and then back at the workouts this week. Thanks for the advice everyone.
 
Hey Hot Rod, I feel for ya :cool:

I'll be 43 this month and like yourself, a good run feels fantastic with a heart rate at 170+ bpm. However, I've just been diagnosed with an ascending aortic aneurysm and my cardiologist told me to keep my heart rate at 135 :confused: I asked about 155 and she reluctantly agreed but told me no heavy sprints. I love to sprint, and my HR can get up to 184+ if I sprint a longer distance and I've seen it in the lower 190's on occasion.

Anyway, I ran 8.3 miles Saturday morning and it was soo hot and my running pace the last two miles was slightly faster than a quick walk with my HR hovering around 160... I hate this leash..., but I enjoy my family so I think I'll continue to force myself to listen to my dr... It's not easy.
 
My surgeon and cardio kept my hr to 117 for the first 4-6 weeks, and was told to limit my self to 150 PERIOD forever and ever. It took me 3 months to get to 60 mins on the treadmill and that's about all I do today 2.5 yrs later.
 
I had my AVR in December 2000 at 47. I had been very active beforehand and was in good shape before my surgery. My surgeon didn't think I needed to go through formal rehab so just gave me some recommendations and turned me loose.

At eight weeks I was still just walking. At twelve weeks I started back to the gym, doing some circuit training, but mostly spending time on a stationary bike. Don't think I actually tried to run for six to eight months.

My best advice would be to be patient and don't push too hard. I had a few days when I tried to do too much and felt like crud for the next couple of days. Listen to your body. To tell the truth, I took me nearly a year to feel completely recovered from my surgery.

I did my first triathlon three years after my surgery in early '04 and did my first half-marathon this past February at age 56. Take care of yourself and you'll eventually get back to where you want to be.

Good luck,
Mark
 
JeffB said:
Hey Hot Rod, I feel for ya :cool:

I'll be 43 this month and like yourself, a good run feels fantastic with a heart rate at 170+ bpm. However, I've just been diagnosed with an ascending aortic aneurysm and my cardiologist told me to keep my heart rate at 135 :confused: I asked about 155 and she reluctantly agreed but told me no heavy sprints. I love to sprint, and my HR can get up to 184+ if I sprint a longer distance and I've seen it in the lower 190's on occasion.

Anyway, I ran 8.3 miles Saturday morning and it was soo hot and my running pace the last two miles was slightly faster than a quick walk with my HR hovering around 160... I hate this leash..., but I enjoy my family so I think I'll continue to force myself to listen to my dr... It's not easy.
Click to expand...

I know, it's not easy being on a leash.. I'm entered in the Crim, but I'm going to walk, not run, and just enjoy the experience. My Dr suggested I walk, and wait until 6 months post op to go all out on the running and weight lifting.. I'm going to take that advice..

He says that until then, HR in the 140-160 range would be great for my age and condition.. I'll be patient and let it work itself out..
 
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