Seeing cardiologist; seeking ideas for lifting ?s

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frood
frood Posts: 295 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Background: I have a mild aortic valve leak and take beta-blockers for hypertension (hbp is extra bad with a leaky valve). When I saw my cardiologist in November and told him I was interested in lifting, he told me to limit it to 100lbs for upper body and 200 lbs for lower body. The reasoning is that lifting raises bp while you are doing it.

I go in tomorrow afternoon (Wednesday) for an echocardiogram and a checkup. I'm putting together some questions for the doctor regarding lifting because I want to be clear on what is safe and what is not. For example, the literature suggests that pullups and pushups are a no-no.

I'm nervous (scared of the worst case - "no" to everything) and blanking on ideas, so I am turning to you wonderful people for inspiration. :flowerforyou: What else should I ask? What other topics are worth bringing up?

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  • frood
    frood Posts: 295 Member
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    Bumpity bump
  • Sqeekyjojo
    Sqeekyjojo Posts: 704 Member
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    Bumpity bump
    ask about your maximum advisable Heart rate.
  • dsjohndrow
    dsjohndrow Posts: 1,820 Member
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    Interesting, they had a program for me to work up to cardio. My heart rate was supposed to stay below 110. Then as I walked a lot, they upped it to 130.

    I also dropped most o f the weight they wanted, got off the beta blockers and now I am able to run a lot and have no limitations. I am still on meds for hypertension, but much less than before.

    I would ask if you could work with a nutritionist and a trainer to get things going. It took me 2 years, but the leakage (everyone has some) is minimal.
  • erinsueburns
    erinsueburns Posts: 865 Member
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    I know they make blood pressure monitors that connect to a smart phone like they do heart rate monitors. So you might ask if you could use one of those and a heart rate monitor when lifting in order to make sure you stay within parameters. It may turn out you can stay within safe parameters if you take long enough rests between sets.
  • albertabeefy
    albertabeefy Posts: 1,169 Member
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    As you're on beta-blockers and not ACE inhibitors or diuretics I'm assuming your BP isn't very high and the AR (Aortic Regurgitation, sometimes also called Aortic Insufficiency) is still mild to moderate.

    Unfortunately exercise that keeps your BP controlled is likely best here. That doesn't exclude strength-training, but it DOES mean you need to be careful.

    My suggestion - and it may seem a little odd, but try it anyway - is to bring your home BP monitor (you do have one, right?) to the gym with you.

    Monitor your BP between sets (go do it in the change room if you want) and take slightly longer breaks than most people do to help it return to a more-controlled range. Light-to-moderate weight, regardless of the repetition range will likely work better than heavy weights (even at low reps) for controlling BP here, and can be just as effective in strength/mass building.

    FYI heart rate (pulse) and BP are not really correlated. You can increase one without the other, the relationship is not linear, so you can't rely on your pulse as a good indicator here.

    I'm sure it's been explained, but one of the MOST-IMPORTANT factors for controlling AR (aortic regurgitation) and preventing it from worsening is control of your BP. So stay within the limits your cardiologist suggests, please.
  • albertabeefy
    albertabeefy Posts: 1,169 Member
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    Another quick note: Very-recent research shows that isometric resistance training actually may have the potential for the largest reductions in systolic blood pressure, so you may want to look into it.

    If you don't mind reading meta-analyses, check it out: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23525435

    Either way, talk to your cardiologist about it before engaging in any new exercise program.
  • amann1976
    amann1976 Posts: 742 Member
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    your doctors goal is to keep you on those meds as long as possible. I lift weights and have to see a cardiologist every 3 months. if anything working out is going to make your heart "muscle" stronger

    as CT fletcher says i have a valve implanted in my chest and take 10 meds a day just to stay alive and i still come in the gym every day to get my workout in... whats your excuse

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YefRIve_8rY
  • TrailRunner61
    TrailRunner61 Posts: 2,505 Member
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    I'm on high dose of calcium channel blockers. It's to control blood pressure and to keep my pulse down to prevent cluster migraines. I was only told that I needed to make sure I warm up slowly and take my time cooling down. For me, to get my pulse down from 160 to 120, I have to walk progressively slower in 5 minute segments. It usually takes me 10-15 minutes. If I didn't cool down that way, I'm sure my head would pound and my bp would go up. Lifting, I haven't asked my Dr. (oops), but I do it slowly and take at least a minute or two between sets of 3. It takes me a lot longer to get done, but it's that way or no way for me. I use a HRM while lifting and really the only thing that raises my pulse is the arm work. You'd think it would be the bigger muscles. Also, if I can feel my earbuds fall out of my ears because I'm lifting so hard, I know it's time to chill a bit. I almost forgot this.. make sure you breathe consistently, don't hold your breath because if you do, it will make your blood pressure go up even higher. Good luck and if your Dr. is negative about lifting, get a second opinion.
  • frood
    frood Posts: 295 Member
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    Thanks everyone! This is helping me put together a good list of topics. I'll be sure to report back after I talk to him. :heart:
  • frood
    frood Posts: 295 Member
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    I survived the appointment. :) My echo was, unsurprisingly, identical to last year's. No enlarged chambers. Dr. says he still stands by those 100/200 limits he gave me in November.

    It's the BP spike that occurs during a lift that is bad for my valves. He said not to bother measuring BP after the lift because it will be back down. He's happy with my using kettlebells. I asked about all my specific activities and got advice for each. I can do unlimited cardio.

    Thanks again for helping me prepare for the appointment. I feel good about the conversation I had today, and I feel good about the next session with my trainer on Friday.
  • justgin1
    justgin1 Posts: 31 Member
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    I have a similar problem with finding exercise due to my heart issues. I was doing the NROL4W for 6 weeks last summer. When I mentioned it to my cardiologist, he told me to stop. I don't have high blood pressure, but take medication to keep it my heart rate low which helps me work out without angina. It's important not to let my blood pressure spike, which is does during heavy lifting. My doc told me to just walk, not very encouraging. Strength training itself can decrease blood pressure, but the spikes experienced during lifting are dangerous, a catch-22.

    I was pretty disappointed since I love to lift weights and don't really like cardio too much (plus, I really have to watch my heart rate). I've been searching for "safe" workouts. I have found that isometric exercises are out, they cause BP to spike. Isotonic exercises are okay. I do not have an aortic anuersym, but I do have multiple coronary aneursyms. I found this page helpful, even if you don't have an anuerysm, it details a safer why to lift without spiking your BP: http://voices.yahoo.com/aortic-aneurysm-safe-weight-lifting-techniques-10202915.html?cat=70

    Just this week I began looking into eccentric lifting. You may want to google it yourself and read some of the information out there, medical papers and articles. From what I gather, it is a good alternative to concentric lifting as far as blood pressure spikes. Example, shoulder press, lift weight with both arms, lower with one. Squat slowly down, but stand up normally.

    Hope this helps. I know how frustrating it is to *want* to go all out with exercise, but have to take care due to health issues.

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