running with bav

[booger1286]

Just wondering if anyone on here is into biking or running with a bav. I love to workout and used to be big in weightlifting til my heart dr told me no more. He did say i could do cardio so i thought i might start running. Is this a good idea? I just started a couple of days ago and i can pretty easily jog about halve a mile before i get too much out of breath. I am thinking i will just go by how i feel and improve. Any advice or tips.

 

[epstns]

I had a bicuspid aortic valve, diagnosed at age 52, and was a runner/jogger for over 30 years - until about 6 months before surgery. By that time, I didn't have the stamina to run, and had some other health issues as well. I was not a competitive runner, but enjoyed my daily runs of 3 to 4 miles. Now that I've had the valve replaced, and I'm a couple of years older (64), my knees don't like the pounding, so I ride a stationary bike and power walk on an inclined treadmill.

I would suggest checking with your cardio, but I imagine that they will not have a problem with your running, as long as you keep things within reason for your physical condition. My cardio never restricted my running as we got closer to surgery.

 

[Duffey]

Just wondering if anyone on here is into biking or running with a bav. I love to workout and used to be big in weightlifting til my heart dr told me no more. He did say i could do cardio so i thought i might start running. Is this a good idea? I just started a couple of days ago and i can pretty easily jog about halve a mile before i get too much out of breath. I am thinking i will just go by how i feel and improve. Any advice or tips.

You might check out www.cardiacathlethes.com
There's a fair amount of VR.com valvers that also belong over there and discuss running and training in relation to their heart situation.

 

[tprice54]

Sure you can (remember, I am not a doctor!)
Start off by doing a run/walk for 20 minutes, 3-4 times a week, and keep at it. You will start running more and walking less. When you can get all 20 minutes in as a run, you are ready to start checking your miles. Just keep at it......

 

[kcamarata]

Talk to your cardiologist but mine told me that I should keep running.

 

[Julian]

Unless otherwise stated by your cardio it should be fine. I was smoking weed, doing meth, and being an all around fool with a BAV and severe stenosis for years. Yikes!

 

[Bean Counter]

I was running marathons with my BAV. Eventually it got bad enough that the cardiologist told me no more racing, but did allow me to keep running. He limited me to about an hour at a time and nothing hard and intense. Eventually I had the surgery and 6 most post-op, he removed all restrictions.

 

[AmyBL]

I was recently diagnosed with BAV and aortic dilation to 4.0. The cardiologist said, "no running" and I am to keep my heart rate below 140 beats per minute. He was wise to do this as I suffer from the delusion that I am 25 and in excellent shape! Several times over the past few years, I decided to "start running, again." The shoes would go on, the MP3 player would blast and off I went. Within the next hour or so I would trip and get some body part bloody or bruised. Or I would run fast and then become sick to my stomach (TMI).
A friend who is a cardiac. rehab nurse told me to sign-up for a heart disease prevention program through cardia rehab and it has been great. I had so many questions about what exercise I can do safely. They take my blood pressure and educate me about the anatomy of the heart. Once it is time for surgery, they will be a wealth of information about surgeons in the area and things like that. I would encourage anyone who is able, to seek out this type of program. My insurance did not cover it but it may be the best 200.00 I ever spent.
Amy

 

[Tom Berning]

I ran several marathons and was doing 20-25 miles a week for years until about a month before surgery. My cardio said running was OK, just don't overdo it!

Tom

 

[coffeelover]

You should check with your MD.

 

[RunMartin]

I knew about my BAV for about 23 years before surgery. Every time I saw my cardiologist I told them what I had been doing. This usually was lots of long races over mountains and swimming. Each time they said I could do what I pleased. That was until about 6 months prior to surgery when the cardiologist said I had to start to take things a little easier, i.e. no racing -only jogging. I was not made aware of details of the decline in my heart each time I visited the cardiologist but it looks like they used both how I felt and the data from echoes to judge what I could so. I think the main thing is to be honest with your cardiologist about how you feel and see what they say.

Martin