Why not !!!!!!!!!

[youngmom]

Why can't a person with aortic reguritation do situps, pushups and weight lifting? It is almost impossible to get in better heath before surgery without these muscle building techniques.

 

[Luckyguy17]

Youngmom,

Huuummmm, not sure whether this is good coming into pre-op and/or whether there is any more major benefit from stressing the body more pre op, with streching and lifting exercises????

am thinking that cardio, walking/some running pre-op might be more beneficial, than muscle toning type exercises...getting the lungs ready for the purge, may make for quicker recovery methinks???

I do bet that your thread will produce advocates for both the more and the less pre op activities, "vive la difference"

 

[Nancy]

Any exercise that causes a forceful Valsalva maneuver can cause problems with a compromised heart, having to do with internal forces and hemodynamics, heart fill etc.. Listen to your doctor and do as he says, until the problem is corrected.

 

[BarbJean]

My son with Marfan has always been told not to do those type of exercises and anything else that is somewhat isometric. We have been told it puts too much stress on the aortic tissue which is weak in those with Marfan. Do you have a connective tissue disorder also? Barb

 

[nngbwh]

I agreed with the others.

 

[Bina]

My 2 cents: The risk involved with a heart condition and the force of pushups, situps, etc. just isn't worth it.
You can go for a nice energetic walk and eat well to maintain yourself before surgery.

 

[dick0236]

Why can't a person with aortic reguritation do situps, pushups and weight lifting? It is almost impossible to get in better heath before surgery without these muscle building techniques.

If you have been on this kind of exercise program, you should be in pretty good shape now for surgery. If you have not been on this kind of exercise regimen, now is not the time to start.......there will be plenty of time later. Your docs must have a reason in asking you to not doing this until after surgery.

 

[mainframe]

The other consideration might be what you don't know. I worked out up to July of last summer lifting alot more than I should have (reps at 225) in part because I really wasn't aware of my condition. When my surgeon opened me up in November, he found my aorta was 'tissue' thin. Told me he could have read a newspaper through it and that if I hadn't had surgery when I did that it probably would have disected within a couple of weeks.

I had no idea and feel incredibily lucky nothing happen last spring summer while I was lifting.

 

[Ross]

It doesn't much matter how fit you are for this surgery, this one is going to knock the wind out of your sails. Why kill yourself before surgery?

 

[Kathy McCain]

I TOTALLY agree with Ross. Also, PLEASE listen to your Dr.

 

[Marcia58]

Youngmom, it sounds like you're thinking like I did. Several years ago when I was told I'd most likely need surgery "some day", I decided it wasn't gonna happen to me! I knew enough about heart health, I could keep my heart healthy. I kept my cholesterol low, kept the weight off, did my best to stay fit, kept my BP down, avoided fat and salt and caffeine. Only problem--valve disease doesn't have to "play by the rules"! So last year, I was a lean, reasonably fit, healthy eating, low cholesterol, low BP 50yo OHS patient, with clear arteries and a valve that was quickly failing!

I may be wrong, and if I am, I apologize, but all this "work out, lose weight, get fit" mindset sounds new for you, and kind of sounds like denial. Honey, valve disease is what it is, and following all the heart-healthy tips in the world won't make it go away. In fact, pushing yourself to shape up could speed up the deterioration.

Take a deep breath and tell yourself what you told your little guy--you've got great doctors and a God who can! So follow the doctor's orders and "Pile all your cares on HIM, because HE cares about you." (The Marcia58 Translation)

My prayers are with you,
Marcia

 

[Superbob]

I agree with all the others: Now is not the time to plunge into an all-out strenuous workout program. It will not make a heart problem that needs correction go away, and it could well be dangerous.

BY all means, consult with your doctor on this and follow his or her guidance.

 

[Philip B]

Fitness?

Fitness?

Can't get in shape without push-ups, sit-ups, and weightlifting...that's news to me. There are a multitude of ways to get fit without push-ups, sit-ups, and weightlifting. Why not get into a fitness program that your cardio doc approves of?

-Philip

 

[Jeanie]

I agree with the other advice. Walking is a much better way to attain cardiovascular fitness. After surgery you will be given an opportunity to participate in a monitored, gradually increasing cardiac rehab exercise program. Now is not the time for what you were planning to do. Your heart is already struggling to operate and sustain your body, why stress it more?

 

[Maryka]

The key concept is "increased intra-thoracic pressure"--meaning you could likely pop your aorta and die. Have you never heard of athletes who die while playing a game or shortly thereafter?

 

[Tass]

What about pilates type exercises? I have a 'machine' that has tension bands to increase resistance. I've walked and walked on the treadmill, but feel like I need to work my core muscles more.

Tass

 

[Mileena46]

MY Cardio told me NOT to take up exercising before surgery. (this was when he planned to send me home for 2 weeks and then do the surgery, it didn't work out that way) anyway, he told me you couldn't get in shape for this surgery and there were many who tried. Also, if it is that you are thinking you might "get into shape" and have a longer time before your valve gets worse, he also told me that nothing I could do would stop or even slow down the stenosis. I hope this helps.

Mileena

 

[Nancy]

I think that any exercise that causes the body to build internal pressures, and that would include just about any weight type or isometric type exercise would probably not make your cardiologist happy prior to this surgery. If Pilates causes these type of stresses (resistance pressure, tension bands, etc. is all isometric), even if they are fairly mild, and you were told to limit that type of activity, then that is what you must do.

Don't fool around with this surgery and the period leading up to it. It is much better to be safe. You can get back in shape afterwards when you have clearance from your surgeon. You don't really know what the inside of your heart problem looks like, and quite frankly, even with all the wonderful testing they have, there are many surprises once the surgeon actually sees the problem up close and personal.

Stay safe, eat a healthy diet, quit smoking, quit heavy drinking, walk and do simple thing to be healthy before surgery.

 

[JeffM]

AVOID RESISTANCE...Believe me, if anyone is a proponent of exercise, it's me. But you need to avoid any kind of straining that causes your blood pressure to rise, especially suddenly. Do exercise walking, easy running or cycling but check with your Dr regarding what your max heart rate should be. You didn't mention when you're scheduled for surgery. If all you have is regurgitation, which is what I had, with no aneurism, you are probably not in danger of "blowing" an artery; however, your heart has already undergone and is continuing to undergo negative changes because of the regurg. so you need to get your limitations from your Doc and pay attention. Once I was 6 weeks before surgery, my cardiologist told me to keep my exercise HR at 110 or below. Hell, my HR goes to 110 when I run up a couple flights of stairs! But as good as I felt, the pictures and the numbers don't lie and I knew it was time to cool it until after my surgery. And that's what I recommend you do.

 

[Shobu]

I agree with all the others, having been through an failing BAV with severe regurgitation. Had to stop all my exercise. Took up swimming post-op, and before my second surgery in June, I went ahead and dialed back my exercise on my own.
Not to sound like a black cloud/know it all/wet blanket or anything like that, but from my own experiences, if you aren't already in good shape from exercise before they tell you no exercise, then you're probably close enough to surgery that an exercise plan won't make a huge difference. At that stage, a strenuous exercise plan designed to get you in the "shape of your life" could worsen the regurg with the valve as well as cause your LV to get worse if it is already getting enlarged. Also, as mentioned before by other posters, if you have an aortic aneurysm or weakening of any type, the risk of it getting worse or rupturing is probably way higher than any benefits from a last minute exercise program. I had a great VO2 going into my last surgery and a pair of "big-a$$ lungs" according to an X-Ray tech who was having trouble getting them completely in-frame during pre and post-op testing; this came from years of swimming rather than something I did at the last minute.
Believe me, I feel your pain. I pretty much had the same questions for my cardiologist prior to my first surgery and was pretty frustrated until he directed me to literature on aortic aneurysms, LV failure, the effects of aortic regurg on heart function and some other things that turned me from frustrated to terrified.

Good luck with any upcoming surgery. Hope everything works out for the best!

--Dan