Exercise with Afib
Posted , 4 users are following.
Hi, I am a new poster here, looking for advice on exercising with Afib. I am a keen runner, rower, cyclist, age 61. Got Afib 2 weeks ago which put me in hospital for 10 hours after my heart ramped right up and wouldnt come down.
Now am on Bisoprolol 1.25 and feeling confused and anxious about how to live with this condition.
I am doing easy walks, no more than that. But I would like to think that one day I can resume a more intense exercise regime if my heart lets me!
I am still waiting for a heart scan so maybe that will show me more about what the damage is.
But any help on what to do / eat or exercise would really help me through this.
Many thanks 😃
0 likes, 2 replies
jason1098 Iceberry
Posted
hi Iceberry
sorry, a bit late to the party
I'm 60 and had an ablation last year, in my younger years I was a 3.30 marathon runner, I still run a couple of times a week, times have dropped but I have a place in 2023's London Marathon and I hope to get between 4.30 and 5 hours for a finish time.
three years ago I had a cardioversion and 2days later I was out running again, it's a setback, but from my experience the long term benefits of regular exercise mean you will be better able to come back after treatment.
I haven't made any dietary changes, we eat mostly fresh cooked with a lot of vegetables, although today's lunch was a Greggs sausage roll and a bottle of Coke. Literally living the dream.
I take Bisoprolol 1.25 per day as well as Dabigatran, Amlodipine, Ramipril and Eplerenone.
None of these affect my running or any other aspect of my day to day life.
Best of luck
peter17774 Iceberry
Edited
Hi Iceberry
I am 73 years of age.
This is my first time on the forum and was reading your post with great interest.
I was diagnosed with Afib at the beginning of COVID by my Apple Watch. It was confirmed by my local hospital the day after.
I was recommended to a private general cardiologist. He organised various scans and the result was that I have zero calcium in my arteries (which is good) but he diagnosed persistent / permanent atrial fibrillation. He told me that I also had a moderately leaking valve which would need monitoring on an annual basis. After wearing a heart monitor for a week apart from a blood thinner (rivaoxaban 20mg) he aput me on bisoprol 1,25mg to hold back my heart rate when cycling up hills. All he wanted to do was to continue monitoring me on an annual basis.
I told him that I was a crazy long distance cyclist and that I was planning a charity ride for the NHS from London to Valencia (1135 miles). He thought I was crazy especially since I have to cross the Pyrenees. He told me it was not a race and that I should not over exert myself but gave me his blessing on the condition that I should row back and give myself an extra couple of days to complete this ridiculous undertaking
Since seeing this private cardiologist I have been treated on the National Health at Barts Hospital in London and have had two ablations to try and restore Sinus Rhythm neither of which have been successful for more than 3 or 4 days. I have also been put on Amiodorone which is a toxic drug with nasty side effects. This too has been unsuccessful. I am just going to get on with my life and as unpleasant and as uncomfortable as the afib is, it is under control so my life should not be in danger and I am going ahead with my bike ride next October.
My advice would be to discuss your exercise regime with your cardiologist as every case is different. From experience though you will not be able to perform exercise to the same level as you did prior to your afib but perhaps you will be able to continue your running and cycling within new safer boundaries.
Hope this helps.