Wired to RUN

Hi all,

I will be getting my pacemaker in a month but thought I would ask this question now:-)

One of the many things I am looking forward to after the PM is my long awaited return to running. In my former, healthier life I loved to run and I miss it terribly, so I will be ecstatic to hit the road again!

For those of you that have been there, how did you ease into an exercise routine? I am going on 3 years of being unable to tolerate any form of exercise so I imagine I will be VERY out of shape to start. So there is that to consider, plus I did not know if there should be any other considerations for my new best friend?

Any experiences you care to share, I would appreciate it! Thanks!

Bryna

4 Comments

Rate response is important

by golden_snitch - 2010-05-13 05:05:36

Hey,

since you'll have your sinus node ablated, you should make sure that you get a pacer with a dual-sensor rate response function, consisting of an accelerometer and a minute-ventilation sensor. Have been told by many EPs that this is very important for young and active patients who need the rate response (heart block patients mostly don't need it). There aren't many pacer models on the market that feature both sensors, most pacers only have an accelerometer. The models I know are the "Altrua" by Boston Scientific and the "Reply" and "Symphony" by Sorin Group. Tell your cardio about your plans to start running again, and ask him about the rate response. There are some members here who run regularly but I have the impression that most of them do not need the rate response; running with a pacer when it needs to take care of an appropriate rate response all the time is different.

Best wishes
Inga

getting back in shape

by Tracey_E - 2010-05-13 08:05:34

Start slowly!!! You'll have to keep it low impact anyway as you recover from the surgery. I was in a similar situation when I got my first pm, hadn't done much more than sleep for the year before and never was able to tolerate hard exercise. I started taking short walks from the time I got out of the hospital. By the time I was cleared to do whatever I wanted, I had picked up speed and added a lot of distance, then I started on weights and more strenuous aerobic exercise.

my 2-cents worth...

by painthorse - 2010-05-13 08:05:46

When I got my first pm, it was an experience of regaining confidence that indeed I was able to do more. The important point to remember is to "pace" yourself ( a little play on words) and let your conditioning catch up. I do have the Altura 60 series for the reasons that Inga mentioned which replaced a Medtronic "super duper" model. ( don't remember which). It is important to let your EP know what your life style is. My EP knew of my horse addiction and my occasional use of power tools, chain saws, etc. I am constantly amazed that at 60yo, I am doing much more than I was at 45yo with only a bit of a detour here and there such as the long healing process of my replacement pm. That is where this site became such an important ingredient of my healing! Fear and anxiety feed on themselves and oh my goodness....I found these folks just in time. Here are my best Texas wishes to you for a smooth return to your new normal!!

pat

go for it

by jimkirschvink - 2010-05-23 02:05:30

There are folks with pacemakers that run marathons and ultra-marathons. I was running high altitude marathons, (leadville, Pike's Peak) and frankly, it may have contributed to my heart problems. I have been running at a slower pace than before, but I'm not really trying to run hard either. I haven't run a marathon since I got my PM, but I'm not blaming that... I could do it if I really had the time and energy to train.

Take your time and work up to it. You may need to have the settings adjusted if it doesn't feel right.

Good Luck!

Jim Jim

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