Rowing Machines....safe for cardiac patients to use?

[HopefulHeart]

I have a BAV and ascending aortic aneurysm of 4.2 cm. I'd like to exercise on a rowing machine. I have not brought it up to my Cardio yet because my check up is not until October. Do any of you work out on a rowing machine? It doesn't cause too much strain on the chest area and is mainly a cardio workout, but I'm still not 100% sure about how safe it is for a cardiac patient like me.

 

[dick0236]

I use a rowing machine as part of my gym workout on a regular basis. However, since you are still pre-fix I would give my cardio a call. He/she knows your situation best.

 

[pellicle]

like everyting keep it moderate.
myself when I use a rowing machine, I pull, so its back and shoulders not chest, your method may vary from mine.

also, whats wrong with just walking? Walk to the gym, walk around the area ... or do you live in a bad hood?

if you have an aneurysm that is more inclined to be stressed by ... well ... straining. So unless you feel like experiencing an aortic dissection I'd really suggest moderation.

As Dick mentioned, discuss with your cardio, but the problem is in communication. You may say "moderate" he may think "moderate" and you may be doing something with dreadful technique that makes it worse.

just my 5c worth (we don't have 1c and 2c coins anymore)

 

[AZ Don]

In my review of the literature that I could find (http://www.valvereplacement.org/for...2576-exercise-and-stress-with-aortic-aneurysm), generally moderate aerobic exercise is recommended for those with an aortic aneurysm. Strenuous exercise of any kind, even aerobic but especially weightlifting is generally discouraged. There was an instance where a patient with a large (5.0) aortic aneurysm was discouraged from playing golf. At 4.2cm I would think your aneurysm (and the associated risk) is considered small, though possibly larger if you are a very small person in which case if I were you I would look at the formula's relating aortic aneurysm size to body size. It's always good to discuss such issues with your Dr's but I would bet that some Dr's would say fine and others would say no. There doesn't seem to be clear consensus on this yet. Ultimately, you have to make the decision. A heart monitor may be helpful in giving you an unbiased measure of how strenuous your exercise is. I was advised to stay below 120 pre-surgery but then my aneurysm was at 5.1cm.

 

[HopefulHeart]

The 3 of you make some great points. Thanks AZ Don for the information you gave me from your research. I appreciate all the info and advice you all have offered. I just ordered a heart rate monitor (chest strap design for most accuracy) and will hold off on the rowing machine until it arrives. I will also give my Dr's office a call and ask what their opinion is. And AZ Don, you are so right when you say there does not seem to be a consensus. Some Dr's do seem to be more carefree about this stuff and say "Sure, go ahead, but don't strain too much." Then there are other Dr's that advise more caution such as the person that was told not to golf that you mentioned. So the Dr's are not helpful sometimes. I just don't think they truly know for sure which scares the you-know-what out of me. And that's also why this heart condition (BAV and aneurysm) puts me in such a difficult situation. I'm supposed to exercise to get my body as healthy as possible and my heart as strong as possible, yet most exercises cause me to fear dissection. Ugh!!!

 

[pellicle]

... I just don't think they truly know for sure

You can be sure : they do not know for sure.

It's a mistake of the general public to even suspect that anyone has any more than informed guesses.
This is not engineering with precision it's medicine. Taking parts out to properly measure them (as an engineer would do) is called surgery and (for obvious reasons) most people object to that. So we have to muddle along with the tools we have currently clustered under the loose term "medical imaging".

I'm supposed to exercise to get my body as healthy as possible and my heart as strong as possible, yet most exercises cause me to fear dissection

not walking ... walking walking walking walking ... actually good for you. Cycling is too if you learn how to use gears properly and "spin" not strain (and get off and walk up hills).

As a "practical cyclist" I'm often stunned at the propensity of people to avoid sensible exersize. People often pay hundreds to join gyms to burn carbs which could be burned for free by riding their bikes to places like work or the shops (instead of burning dollars and hours in gyms). Then they pay thousands for vehicles which they use to travel often as little as 2 miles in traffic to (ironcally) get to the gym.

Hopefully (assuming it hasn't been stolen) my bike in Finland is still in the basement of my apartment and I'll use that to get around town and do my shopping or get me to the train station if I need to go into Helsinki or some other town.

http://cjeastwd.blogspot.com/2013/08/on-yer-bike.html

So I reckon that there is plenty of exersize potential ... one doesn't need to emulate Arnold Schwarzenegger just to stay healthy

 

[aetos]

I'm 6 months post op now and feel better then ever. Thanks to walking and walking and walking lol and cycling 3-4 times a week. Do some light weighs on the side, nothing heavy- so long as I can do reps of 20-25 just to enough to stay toned up. Walking and cycling is a great form of excersice for your heart

 

[Roxx]

I have a BAV and ascending aortic aneurysm of 4.2 cm. I'd like to exercise on a rowing machine. I have not brought it up to my Cardio yet because my check up is not until October. Do any of you work out on a rowing machine? It doesn't cause too much strain on the chest area and is mainly a cardio workout, but I'm still not 100% sure about how safe it is for a cardiac patient like me.

I wouldn't see any reason why not..... our friends at the Cleveland Clinic wouldn't call 4.2 and aneurysm.... they would call that an "enlargement".... they don't use the "A" word until 4.6 on up....... I am not a doctor, but everything I read, between 4.0 to 5.0 cm....most are clear to lift 50% of their bodyweight OR something they could do 20 times without straining. Heavy lifting really isn't recommened for anyone. Take someone who would have otherwise been 3.3-3.5 in the aorta.... its possible that heavy training and pressure on the aortic wall could take them to 4.0 (or beyond) after years of lifting..... and its been proven in the book "Handbook of autopsy pathology" that many people's aorta's upon death at age 70+ is well in the "operating trigger point" range......but they never knew it, and died of something else.