Gym

Hi. I am a 68 male with a Boston Scientific/Guident PM. Itake no supporting drugs and consider that I am reasonably fit but need excercise. I want to join a local fully equiped gym. Can anyone advise a program or what I can or can not do.

Many thanks

Regards

Tony

4 Comments

tony at the gym

by curly - 2008-05-17 03:05:51

i was recently told by my doc i can go back to the gym. i asked about how much weight i can lift .he told me 25lbs.limit he does not want me to pull out the lead wires to my icd pm. i hope this helps you ,yours curly

Gym

by richan - 2008-05-17 05:05:53

Hi Tony,
I also have a Guidant PM (model 1280) - got it back in 2005. If yours has been there long enough, you can do pretty much what you used to. I'm 69 and have been weight lifting (free weights and machines) for a little over a year - I'm loosing "mass" and am trying to slow it down. My "restriction" is: If I can't do 2 sets of 15 reps, I have to lower the weight. Very gradually I have been increasing the weights in all the machines and free weights. I'm not sure that I have gained any mass, but, my muscles are much firmer and I do feel a bit stronger.

The only place I seem to struggle is with swimming. I work out with a Masters Swim team. I find myself hyperventilating a lot to get my HR up and to get it to stay up. These gizmos (PMs) are great pieces of technology and many of us would not be here without them. I just don't like being dependent on them and dealing with limitations that I did not have pre-PM.

As you read other postings in the "Exercise & Sports" section, you can see that many of us lead rather active lives with our PMs.

Hope things go well for you. Just don't quit!

Richan

No restrictions

by turboz24 - 2008-05-17 08:05:46

I basically have no restrictions on working out. I basically lift as heavy as I can and once I can exceed 3 sets, 8 reps, I add weights. I still do military presses, incline bench, as well as pullups.

It was a requirement from my doc before I ended up with an ICD that I be able to workout as I did before the implant. If I don't workout hard and with heavy weights, I drop muscle extremely fast. I lost 18 lbs, almost all muscle in the 3 weeks I was restricted from working out and was in the hospital.

The Gym post PM

by maryanne - 2008-05-17 11:05:07

Welcome Tony.....well I will just echo Cathryn....you pretty much can to do anything as long as you have your doctors go ahead..... I have had my PM since I was 23...I went through all my pregnancies with the PM....I sky dive, I water and snow ski, I play slow pitch...I do weights at the gym, I canoe...nope I'm at the point where sometimes I actually forget I have one.....good luck....

Now it's time to really enjoy life!!!

You know you're wired when...

Your old device becomes a paper weight for your desk.

Member Quotes

I have had my pacer since 2005. At first it ruled my life. It took some time to calm down and make the mental adjustment. I had trouble sleeping and I worried a lot about pulling wires. Now I just live my life as I wish.