Exercises (Mitral & Aortic Valve Replacements)

[Jessica Marie]

HI EVERYONE!!

This thread is to ask what kind of exercises are "okay" for me. I've had 2 mitral valve replacements and an aortic valve replacement so I currently have 2 mechanical valves. I am 19 years old and I was over weight for my height before and after my last surgery (in 2010). Last summer though, I lost about 30 + pounds. I am currently in the normal weight for my height and age, but I'd still like to lose a little more and be a little more healthier. I was just wondering if anyone could tell me good exercises for me to do, and ones NOT to do. Summer I just walked a few miles a day, and I'm currently doing that also but along with the stair stepper at the gym.

I appreciate any help I can get!

Thanks :smile2:

 

[AgilityDog]

I have 2 mechs and a tricuspid repair, pacemaker dependent with tendancy to V-tach. I'm on tons of drugs.
Regarding exercise: Do whatever you want, within reason:
Run, do elliptical, some weights (but not super heavy strong man type). Hike, bike, Zumba, yoga, spin, play basketball, tennis, or racquetball (although you will bruise when the ball hits you). Whatever you enjoy.
We have people who ride horses, run marathons, and bike. I run dog agility, walk, do light weights, and 30 minutes on the elliptical daily.
Don't jump out of airplanes, box, or ultimate fight. No contact football, rugby, or other dumb (extreme) stuff. Bullriding is probably out.

Join our Throwdown to help you with your weight loss/maintenance journey.

Good for you for losing the weight and getting active.

 

[Jessica Marie]

Thank you! How do I go about joining?

I appreciate your help!! Its just very overwhelming at times because this is the first time in my life I can exercise without feeling like my chest will explode! (okay maybe too much heart humor). But I feel a lot more active now then ever.

 

[AgilityDog]

Run down to the "throwdown" forum. Post your start weight, current weight, goal weight. gain or loss for the week.

Right now we are having a little "contest/challenge/whathave you" from January 1 to St. Pat's day.
Then we'll start one from St. Pat's to Memorial Day, or 4th of July.
Just jump in. It's just friendly support.

I know what you mean about feeling sooooo much better. I thought I was better after the MVR. Now, 18 months after my AVR and tricuspid repair, I'm REALLY better. So much so, I forget I have a chronic condition, most of the time.

Oh, and these days, I think women who don't have a scar down the middle of their chests look kinda funny, like something's missing.

 

[SumoRunner]

Start by walking anywhere from 2-3 miles 4 or 5 days a week. After 1 week, do a bit of jogging in the middle of your walk. Each day thereafter, do more jog and less walk until you've run a whole mile. From then on, start the workout with running and see how far you get. At 4-6 weeks you'll be running 3 miles non-stop. That's all you really ever need.

When the weather gets hot, switch to cycling. You get as much exercise, plus a cooling breeze. 1 mile run is equivalent to 3 miles on the bike.

 

[tprice54]

Well, my mentor Jack beat me to it, but hi! Running is an excellent work out, will not hurt your valves, will help keep weight off, AND if you want, you can meet up with a bunch of crazy heart patients that are also runners every year! An alternative to Jack's post, if you don't want to measure out miles, is to do minutes. Start run/walking for 20 minutes straight. Keep at it every other day until you can run the entire 20 minutes. Then we move on to measured miles. Good luck!!!

 

[normofthenorth]

JM, I realize it's been many years since your last HVR, and a few years since your last "procedure". . . but I'd still recommend trying to get into a Cardiac Rehab program. There have been a few recent threads here discussing Rehab, and the vast majority of the folks who did it (including me), loved it and recommend it to everybody who'll listen. If you can get your GP/PCP or your Cardiologist to prescribe it for you, your health insurance might well cover the cost, too.

My Cardiac Rehab folks gave me specific "prescriptions" for exercise, based on the results of a stress cardiogram (including monitoring the gases in my "exhaust" while I exercised!) that they administered. There were suggestions for diet, explanations about health issues, access to a bunch of fitness-oriented nurses, doctors, and techs, and access to walking-running tracks (indoors and out), weights, mats, and nifty exercise equipment. They always had a Cardiologist on-duty, and usually a Psychologist, too, who was available for discussions, etc. Those two and a Dietician and a few other people gave us lectures from time to time.

You'll probably be the youngest patient there by a big margin, though the staff is probably closer to your age than mine, or the average patient's. I was either the fittest and most athletic patient in my group, or at least close, and the staff was quite good at personalizing my program to my needs. Now I'm back to flat-out downhill skiing and flat-out competitive volleyball, maybe sooner than I would have been without the Rehab, and definitely with much more confidence.

 

[Jessica Marie]

Agility- yes haha I get quite a bit of stares in a bathing suit. People wonder why I have multiple "belly buttons" (chest tube scars)

Sumo runner & tprice- thank you that is very helpful!

Normofthenorth-- thank you so much! I'm definitely going to look into it and since I'm a college student I'm not sure how much time I'll have for it but I'll look into it for sure. And actually it's the opposite my last surgery was almost 2 years ago and my last procedure was atleast 3 years ago

 

[normofthenorth]

Oops! I missed your AVR! (I wish that was my most important mistake for the week! ;-) )

 

[Jessica Marie]

Haha it's okay it happens