weight training?

[deano89]

hi
when i see my cardio, he went through what was at that time the echo and explianed i had severe mitral valve regurgitation and needed surgery etc etc.
i asked him about exercise weight training swimming cycling etc and he said carry on as normal !!
I decided after reading various posts i would go light on the weights but do higher reps 3 sets of 15 reps ,still doing cross trainer ,a bit of cycling and walking but not going mad just keeping a steady pace ,
i know with some valve problems weights is a definate no no,anyone with severe MR been given any guidelines as to safe exercise and what you can and cant do before surgery
i want to keep reasonably fit and to lose a bit of weight without doing any damage!

 

[Ged1975]

I understand your concerns Dean. When I found out last Novemeber that I needed an aortic valve replacement I panicked and stopped going to the gym as I felt it might accelerate the aortic regurgitation. I used to go 3 to 5 days a weeks, doing cardio and weights. In fact I used to get my heart rate up to 185 on the bike.

The strange thing is I've lost half a stone since not going to the gym but that's probably the loss of muscle mass.

Like you I'm a bit confused about the whole exercise issue. My GP told me to continue exercising but he said if I feel my heart pounding stop exercising or reduce it. Doesn't the heart always pound during exercise

hi
when i see my cardio, he went through what was at that time the echo and explianed i had severe mitral valve regurgitation and needed surgery etc etc.
i asked him about exercise weight training swimming cycling etc and he said carry on as normal !!
I decided after reading various posts i would go light on the weights but do higher reps 3 sets of 15 reps ,still doing cross trainer ,a bit of cycling and walking but not going mad just keeping a steady pace ,
i know with some valve problems weights is a definate no no,anyone with severe MR been given any guidelines as to safe exercise and what you can and cant do before surgery
i want to keep reasonably fit and to lose a bit of weight without doing any damage!

 

[Curtsmum]

We was told that my son could carry on with excersie as normal. Then when he wanted to join taekwondo(with no contact) they stopped him, said that some of the moves would be bad for his heart. Probably not much help to you. I guess its just down to knowing when you have done enough excersise, which is not always easy, espeailly with a child.

 

[Nupur]

I totally stopped exercising after my dx too! In any case before that I was having some trouble running. I never lifted weights so it's not an issue, but my cardio said more reps
with less weight. Dean, I am curious about your heart chamber sizes and all that? Is your
left ventricle in good shape? What are the sizes? I had posted my TEE results in this thread

http://www.valvereplacement.com/forums/showthread.php?t=27449

I am curious about the criteria based on which they recommend surgery.

Nupur

 

[deano89]

Hi Nupur
i was never given the sizes ,was told by the cardiologist my left ventricle was slightly enlarged but no consequence,he added probably this was due to years of regurgitation! .He also said my heart was in very good shape apart from the valve no heart enlargement and my heart was very dynamic ,not quite sure what he meant by that! the only other thing he added was that my lung pressures were very slightly high.
my blood pressure at home is around 146/70 Heart rate around 60 .
At my TEE i asked what the measurments were ,and the doctor doing TEE said something about measurements arnt all they base it on.
i have an appointment now on the 10th feb with my cardio where i will ask more about the reasons for surgery.also waiting for appointment with the surgeon
i think the main reason for surgery in my case is the severe regurgitation probably the lung pressures, and left ventircle being slightly enlarged
The other thing the cardio said at my original echo was they like to get it before permanent damage is done to heart and the patient is Asymptomatic. The short term and long term prognosis is very good in these cases, but he did add there is a risk with any surgery!!.he made a comment about the surgeons will be fighting over you!! think i replied but i dont want surgery! he also said at that time i was a good candidate for repair ,but at theTEE a different doctor siad the posterier leaflet looked a bit bitty repair was still possible but more complex than normal mitral valve repair and they wouldnt know till they were in there
sorry its a bit rambled but just been writing as i remember all the info i have had over the months

 

[Ged1975]

The left ventircle being slightly enlarged The other thing the cardio said at my original echo was they like to get it before permanent damage is done to heart and the patient is Asymptomatic.

Dean that's exactly what I was told.

 

[Nupur]

Criteria for surgery

Criteria for surgery

Maybe in the UK cardiologists are more progressive than here. When they did my first ECHO, the cardio said "you have severe regurgitation, but the ventricle is functioning super-normal, whatever that means, and you are asymptomatic, so no surgery now". I went to another cardio who was much better in terms of explaining things. She said "asymptomatic" really doesn't mean much until you run tests, coz you could be living with symptoms not knowing it. So she did a TEE and a stress test for me. But her conclusion was the same, to wait. I am wondering what size ventricle is considered enlarged and why my cardio isn't concerned about getting it fixed before damage.

I have a read a few papers about the subject of criteria for surgery and the current recommendation is to do surgery before damage, since the risk of OHS is now quite low, and especially if it can be repaired. In my case, repair is very unlikely because my prolapse is the anterior leaflet.

Back to weight training, I'd be careful with it. CA governator Arnold Schawarzeneger (sp?) apparently blew his valves out early by weight training. Not trying to scare you, but well.. you should be careful, maybe more reps with less weight.

OK, off to starting my day as you end yours..keep us posted.

 

[ponytaila1a]

I have been told since the dx to "do everything you were doing, no limits" but I feel (imagine) that when I walk....even stroll for a couple of miles that I "bring on" symptoms. All in the head I guess, but I quit the gym. I hope I can get my head on straight after the surgery and begin my "normal" routine work out again.

 

[mrsnuffles]

Hi Dean,

I asked my surgeon exactly the same question about using weights. I had been told previously by my cardiologist that I should refrain from doing any weight lifting. My surgeon explained that using low weight weights to tone muscle was the way forward and was recomemnded and that I shouldn't lift heavy weights. His example was that I shouldn't bench press 150kg as it increases the pressure on the left ventricle and therefore on the mitral valve. He advised me to try to lose some weight and tone muscles in the chest area to aid my recovery process and advised i use low weight free weights for that.

I was also worried when my heart rate got elevated but I have been told that doing cardiovascular exercise actually prevents the heart muscle from enlarging. Don't know if that is correct but my cardiologist said that is the case so I have no reason to doubt her.

Andrew

 

[Nupur]

Don't want to hijack the thread, especially because now it has been moved
but wanted to post this article summary from pubmed.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17405561?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_Discovery_RA&linkpos=1&log$=relatedreviews&logdbfrom=pubmed

Quote :The timing for huge chronic and asymptomatic mitral regurgitation remains debated, even though the present trend is to prefer early surgery, due to the risk of sudden death. A new study evidenced the interest of clinical and echocardiographic surveillance on a prospective series of 129 consecutive asymptomatic patients with severe degenerative mitral regurgitation. The surgical indication was only based on the occurrence of symptoms, an echographic LV diameters increase, a LV dysfunction, the presence of pulmonary hypertension or atrial fibrillation.

 

[NewValveNY]

Hi Dean,

I had a bicuspid aortic valve, diagnosed when I was 31, replaced when I was 47.
My cardiologist told me during those years that I can lift weights, but not to overdo the weight. So, I guess I used moderate weight, but did not do super heavy bench presses. I used common sense and worked with a program called Body for Life. My cardio training was unrestricted. I ran, biked, and used the elliptical and treadmill machines too.
Despite the fact that I had no overt symptoms, my cardiologist told me that he wanted to replace the valve because the left ventricle was starting to enlarge, and that he wanted to do it sooner than later to maintain the elasticity of my heart.
Hope this gives you some useful feedback. Good luck and keep us posted
Allan

 

[deano89]

i must admit im not sure that anyone is totally symptom free !as i have read so many accounts of people after surgery realising how they hadnt realised how bad they were,
ponytaila1a when i was first dx, i was told to watch for two things one was swollen ankles the other was SOB ,i kept thinking about my breathing all the time ,guess what started feeling SOB but only when i thought about it ,it never effected any exercise !! so the mind can definitley play games with your body.
although the cardio refers to me being Asymptomatic i have had the heart poundings which were really scary but once i had the holter and told they were innocent PVC`s
i have slept on my RH side and not really had any poundings, did wonder wether the heart thumping was due to the anxiety i was feeling at the time.
As far as training goes think i will continue ,but air on the side of caution and not push to hard!
hi Andrew i was also told to monitor my heart rate and not let it go above 130 when exercising , that was by my local GP
Ged did the Doc say heart pounding or heart palpitations as you say feeling the pump is pretty normal when weight training, but remember reading somewhere about if you experience palps while exercising to stop straight away!
thanks Allen think as you say it amounts to a common sense approach .the left ventrical seems to be something that determines the right time for surgery , so how you training since the replacement any restrictions?
Dean

 

[AndyChas]

Hi Dean

I’m having mitral valve surgery soon, but am asymptomatic and swam, cycled and did weights regularly up until a couple of months ago (when the heart problem was first diagnosed). I’ve been given conflicting advice about exercising. The GP said no strenuous activity; the first cardiologist I saw said keep doing what I was doing (he didn’t even imply a reduction in weightlifting); the second cardiologist said no more swimming (‘it’s only making it worse’). I have some heart enlargement, but I’m not sure of the details (the cardiologists said it would probably correct itself after surgery).

After diagnosis in October I stopped swimming and weights, and started doing very light cardio and stretching in the gym. I was originally scheduled for operation last November, but this was postponed and, in the process of waiting on standby, I stopped exercising completely (not even walking) for about a month. I regret this now as just about every joint in my body has started making clicking and popping noises!

I’m about average height and slim and have lost some weight (down from 72-3kg to about 69kg). This is frustrating, as my tummy is pretty flat and I’m sure it’s muscle disappearing; I’ve always struggled to put on weight. In the last couple of weeks I’ve gone back to light cardio/stretching but finishing with ten minutes of compound weight lifting (but no more than 50% of the weight I’d usually do, and reduced reps). I was dubious about Pilates, but some of the mat exercises for stretching and ‘core stability’ are actually harder than they look!

I suppose this is an area where we really need expert guidance attuned to personal circumstances. I’m seriously thinking of trying to find a cardiologist with additional expertise in sports medicine as I’d really like to get definitive advice on the post-op weights issue.

Andy

 

[sparklette77]

I was given conflicting advice about exercising pre surgery as well (had a mitral valve repair and cryo maze procedure on 12//5/08) and in the fce of that i si9mply stopped all exercise except for walking which is the best exerci9se for your heart anyway. Weight lifting definitely raises your blood pressure which is terrible for your mitral valve, particularly if your left ventricle is already enlarged. Apparently while symptoms of valve disease are gradual, once they start they can progress and get worse very quickly wihtout warning. So in my opinion, why take the chance? That is why I stopped, I didn't want to inadvertantly do ANYTHING that might jeapordize my chance of having a repair over a replacement.

 

[NewValveNY]

Dean,
It will be two years since my OHS to replace the aortic valve. After a few months, the doctor gave me no restrictions, with the exception of lifting heavy weight across my chest. I am back to my usual schedule of three days a week cardio, and three days a week weight training. I mix it up with doing spinning bike classes, and I like to bike to work once a week. I also like to do bike club rides when I get a chance. When I lift weights, I do 5 to 6 sets for each muscle group. I start at a light weight, get my form correct, and increase weight for each set and decrease the number of reps from 12 to 6 as I increase the weights. So, I guess I am now lifting moderate to heavy weights, but I still have to be careful about doing heavy bench presses. It is all about common sense and listening to your body.

Your re-emergence into fitness activities will be governed by your own sense of physical well-being and by learning about your post-surgery body. Everyone is different because of their health history and how he or she recovers, and what medications they take.
Dean, just listen to your body, make sure you stretch out your chest, neck and arms to maintain flexibility from the surgery, and enjoy getting back to your fitness routine in your own way. Don’t push yourself too much at first. First, walk! Then I would suggest that you do more cardio after you get the green light from your doctor, and then slowly introduce weight training as you heal from the surgery.
Good luck with your doctor appts.
All the best,
Allan

 

[ponygirlmom]

Quite frankly, most doctors know jacks**t about sports and fitness. They either think something is way more stressful than it is, or far easier than it is. If they aren't familiar with a sport or activity, they guess at the amount of effort it takes, rather than asking. They pull random weight numbers out of a hat, rather than thinking about how much things actually weigh.

If anyone I know injures their back or has a repetitive movement injury, I tell them to go straight to a sports medicine doctor. I'm wondering if that would also be good for those of us who want some informed advice about exercise and our hearts.

 

[LeakyValve]

Dean,

Sounds like you and I have the same issues. I was dx with severe MVR and my cardiologist told me the exact same thing...that my heart had adapted to the regurg as I was totally asymptomatic. In fact, my road cycling ability had been INCREASING prior to discovering my MVP had turned into full-fledged MVR in the severe category.

As for when to elect surgery, I was told by one local prominent CT surgeon that because my echo and TEE showed good output that I wouldn't even be on his "radar screen" for surgery any time soon. His partner in the practice, a Mitral Valve specialist, told me that I could do either ("watchful waiting" or elect surgery now, while the heart was in good condition), but that he recommended scheduling something soon. I scheduled almost immediately after interviewing several other surgeons to get a better feel for expertise, volume of surgeries, success rates, etc. I didn't want to train and race with OHS hanging over my head, not to mention the remote possibility of "sudden death."

Back to weight training, post-DX and pre-surgery, my cardio told me that I could continue light weightlifting, but to avoid heavy chest exercises (e.g., bench press, push ups, etc.).

My "advice" would be to stay active right up until your surgery within reason. I trained on my bike outside right up until the day before my surgery. It sounds as if you are in great condition and it's not uncommon for surgeons to "fight" over you. I had the same situation with my surgery...it was almost like football coaches fighting over a free agent midfielder.

Good luck! Please let me know if you have any questions. When and if you are looking into surgical options, I would recommend asking if the minimally invasive or "mini-incision" method is available to you. I have a photo on my profile page of what the incision looks like...and I was discharged the next day.

Mike

 

[Eric]

My Cardio told me that I can lift weights but to do lights weights and high reps. I do 20-30 reps per set after swimming a mile and although I'm not as muscular as I was in the past, I like my workouts.

 

[deano89]

thanks for all the input ,putting it altogether i think it looks to me that exercise should continue but in moderation as we appear to be dealing with the unknown effects .
iat present i do a steady 45 minutes on Rebock cross trainer(eliptical trainer) at an average 17mph depending on resistance for 45 minutes a day making sure my heart rate doesnt exceed 130. also about 1/2 hour weights doing one exercise per body part 3 sets of 15 light weight. i walk and cycle as much as possible rather than take the car .
Mike dont think minimal is going to be an option as i asked this when i last met the cardio his reply didnt even entertain the idea just no its through the sternum!
i agree with the bit staying active within reason its just getting a good balance and thats the hard bit because my bodys willing but my minds saying hang on you could be doing more harm than good!
Dean

 

[BackDoc]

my two cents for what it's worth. Prior to becoming a Chiropractor I was an exercise physiologist. I earned my MS in Ex. Phys from the University of Florida and worked for several years as the director of out patient Cardiac Rehab for a hospital located in North Florida. I am and always have been an exercise fanatic. It was by total chance that my own bicuspid aortic valve was diagnosed. I just attributed my increasing heart rate and fatigue during my own workouts to advancing age (I was closing in on 50, now I am in my 50's). So I scaled my workouts back more and more but still it happened--rapid heart rate, higher then normal and fatigue. I was starting to drag the day afterwards. I knew something was up, I listened to my own heart and heard the murmur--but was still in denial. Since I have a patient who is a cardiologist I went to see him. One listen to my heart and he knew what was wrong.
Next was the consult with the surgeon, TEE and catherization. My surgery would be almost two years down the road.

But I was encouraged to continue exercising. The heavy weights were dropped and I used much lighter weights and trained in circuit fashion, rode my bike much slower, walked--high intensity interval (google high intensity interval walking) and continued to horseback ride.
I think my conditioning played a major role in my overall recovery. I was up and walking around the ICU room the night of my surgery.
I exercised right up to the day I was admitted for surgery. My doc's credit my physical condition with preventing me from developing/noticing more symptoms.

I believe my exercise also helped make my recovery much easier. By the 8 week point I was back to light weights doing a circuit. I was walking from day one following surgery. By the 12 week point I was doing all activity with no restrictions. If anyone doesn't think putting a 65 pound saddle on a 1,200 pound horse isn't exercise--try it,lol.

I am now one year post op. No restrictions. Back to scuba and snorkeling as of this past summer.

At age 51 I have no desire to lift heavy weights I continue with my biking, interval walking and circuit weight training.

As far as weights prior to surgery--personally I would avoid anything over 20 pounds. You can hit momentary high BP spikes and you don't want to hasten your condition along.
But continue with your cardiovascular workouts--just scale back.

The better shape you are in going into surgery, the smoother and faster your recovery will be.