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Angina and excersise

Posted , 3 users are following.

gracey649956225
gracey649956225

Does anyone know if there are special excersise classes/fitness trainers to work with people who have angina?

I don't feel confident to excersise on my own, and I dont feel confident knowing how hard I can push myself. Doesn't help that I also have vertigo. My angina is suspected to be spams and not a blockage.

Everyone tells me it's important to excersise. I have had doctors in the hospital saying I need to get myself to the point of feeling breathless. Obviously it won't take much to make me breathless or get chest pain. But I need to improve my general health and stamina. I can only walk short distances and don't go out on my own anymore. But I'm putting on weight which isn't helping me at all.

Any thoughts, tips etc would be great!

1 like, 9 replies

9 Replies

  • john46280
    john46280 gracey649956225

    Posted

    Hi I was the same scared to go out on my own but I started by just walking to the top of my street for about 1 week then went around the corner then progressed to going around the block for about 4 weeks just doing it in my own pace after that I started to walk around the park and I started to meet other people who were in the same position as me and we started to exchange our different illnesses and diets which really help me so after 3months I lost 1stone and am eating healthy I hope this helps you
    • gracey649956225
      gracey649956225 john46280

      Posted

      Thanks John

      Sounds like a good starting point. Just hope I can build on this.... Only one way to find out smile

  • john46280
    john46280 gracey649956225

    Posted

    Hi Gracie it will feel strange at first but it will all work out keep in touch and let me know how you get on or if you need anymore help.
    • gracey649956225
      gracey649956225 john46280

      Posted

      Thanks John. I chickened out yesterday but promised myself I will start tomorrow rain or shine smile

    • john46280
      john46280 gracey649956225

      Posted

      Hi Grace the first day to start is always the hardest I started going dressed the way I use to go out then after a couple of days I started to wear what I felt comfortable in.
  • samuels
    samuels gracey649956225

    Posted

    Hi gracey

    For starters a doctor shouldn't be telling you to exercise to the point of feeling breathless, especially if a person hasn't exercised regularly, one should start off slow, even a 10 minute walk twice a day for a week or 2, then bump it up to 15 minutes twice a day, then you can do the recommended 30 minute walk once a day in a month or so time, should always build up to it slowly. I'm inthe same boat about going out by myself . You can actually do mild cardio workouts in the comfort of your own home, once again you need to start off slow and build up.

    What interests me in your comment is that you say your angina is suspected to be spasms, also you said it won't take much for you to get chest pain, with coronary artery spasms exercise doesn't set it off, well that's the general diagnostic tool that doctors go by, you obviously have had an angiogram to know that you haven't any blockages.But I would start to wonder that if exercising or even simple walking setting off your chest pain would make any doctor think of stable angina. I was diagnosed with prinzmetal angina years ago and I was a lways on the go, back then I could walk by myself, I use to run a hobby farm, etc etc but now that it has been found that I have a couple of slightly blocked arteries exercise seems to set my angina off as well now, even though tests have showed that the blockages are non flow limiting at 50 % in the LAD and 60 % in the RCA.

    Remember start off slow if you haven't walked great distances for ages, even if you start off at 10 minutes twice a day, you will still be getting benefits from those walks, same applies if you ever decide to go to a gym or exercise in the privacy of your own home.....

    • gracey649956225
      gracey649956225 samuels

      Posted

      Hi, yes in particular A&E doctors and even ambulance crew have encouraged me to excersise to point of breathlessness. They said patients after heart attacks can be pushed to do strenuous excersise so I should be ok. But I will take the more sensible approach and build up slowly, which makes total sense to me. I must admit my own gp is much more cautious. I have been off work for months!

      I'm not actually diagnosed but have been put on medication in meantime. I have had several tests an aniogram and also had an ecg stress test which they said was satisfactory. Unless I am not tolerating the nitrate tablet, spray and high blood pressure medication, something is definitely wrong with me. I get chest pain, neck and jaw pain, breathlessness and terrible migraine type headaches. There is a vein in my neck that pulses visibly and feels awful. I'm dizzy a lot because of vertigo. Things that set me off are excersise I. E walking short distances, stairs, emotional stress, heavy meals and I noticed I got pain in my chest when I was out in the cold wind last weekend. So something is most definitely wrong, but going through the motions. My nitrate spray helps and I take an aspirin as well if I'm really struggling.

      My sister is encouraging me to do yoga so may give this a whirl once I'm a bit more stable.

      With no diagnosis I feel in limbo and it makes things more difficult excersise wise, because I don't really know what I'm dealing with.

      Anyway, thank you for your comments and advice. Really appreciated!

    • samuels
      samuels gracey649956225

      Posted

      Hi gracey,

      Your symptoms do match angina, but which one is the golden question, Cold weather , emotional stress and even extreme heat will definately trigger a prinzmeatal angina attack, Prinzmetal always comes on at rest, well generally , a heavy meal can trigger off stable angina, but there's no laws of science from stopping it from triggering other types of angina.

      Hope you find the answers quickly so life can begin again, I know how horrible it is.

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