Most Recent Messages in Exercise & Sports

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Chronotropic Incompetence

Hi, I was diagnosed with bradycardia and chronotropic incompetence last May and had a Medtronic pacemaker fitted in June. I was a good club runner and found it difficult to breath when running. Although the pacemaker has solved the bradycardia, I am still having problems when running in that the pacemaker does not usually respond enough to exercise and my heart rate does not increase enough for the effort made. The Technicians are trying to adjust the rate response, but not being used to his...

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Ideas for the next gen of pacers/ICDs...

Okay... maybe I am being overly optimistic but hey, why not make the best of having one of these darn things in your chest.

For those of us who like to work out... why can't our pacer interface with our Polar HRM's? I mean, who needs a stupid chest strap when you have leads right into your ticker to give an even more accurate HR. And for those who need to pace at or near 100% of the time, why not give them the ability to set their own HR through use of their watch/HRM?

GP...

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Roller coasters

are we allowed to go on roller coasters?

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Is respiratory rate sensor important?

I'm scheduled to get a pacemaker installed Thursday. They want to use a Medtronic PM with a motion sensor but not a respiratory rate sensor. I'd like to be able to ride my bicycle up steep hills and also do some backpacking. What is your experience exercising with the motion sensor only? I have sinus bradycardia with 2nd degree AV block ( Mobitz II ). Thanks.

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How will I feel after surgery

Im Matt, and 18 years old. Im expecting a pacemaker for my complete heart block. I have recently felt fatigued moreso then usual and this is saying alot for myself as I am extremely athletic (playing rugby, hockey etc). I was wondering if after the surgery how different will i feel? I have never known what it was like to have a healthy heart so my tiredness is usual for me. Can someone enlighten me to how much it cuts the fatigue off?

Thanks!

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Bike riding and fluid intake

Hi all,

Just a few questions if possible. I had a pacemaker implanted about six months ago and all was going very well and back exercising about 5 days per week on the bike. However about four weeks ago I had a number of fainting spells and one severe episode of unconsciousness without any recollection leading up to the incident. Since then I have had the pacemaker readjusted and undertaken a number of follow up tests. it would now seem that I have vasovagal syncope. I undertook a tes...

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Diving

Hello, everybody!
I want to start diving but I'm not sure if my pm will alow that.
Last year I asked my doctor about it and he just told me that human beings are made to walk on earth and not swimming underwater... So, there is absolutely no help from him.
I tried to contact Medtronic to ask them how much pressure can my pm endure but I didn't get any answers.

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When to start

I had a pacemaker emergency on Tuesday 4/19/10 because of heart block. I experienced no prior symptoms. I played 11/2 hours of singles tennis 3 days straight prior to the surgery.I even played singles for 11/2 hours and biked 23 miles a few Sundays ago with no symptoms.My GP believes my heart block was brought on by an attack of severe cramps[ that brought me to the Doctor ]that Affected the A-V node.I did show some electrical irregularities on an EKG in 2005 that my GP said was not significant...

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HR monitor

I was wondering if folks out there are using heart rate monitors and what they found effective. I have afib, and tried the heart rate watch from Target, and that didn't work so well. I had to touch the watch to get me the heart rate, and I am wondering if there is anything out there that gets a good measurement for folks like me, and something that you can set an alarm.

Thanks for the info in advance,

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Rowing

I had a pacemaker installed on March 7, 2010... one month ago! I've been a rower for about 6 years, and want to continue again. The cardiologist says one more month...

Anyway, I've been exercising on the recumbent bicycle at 85% target heart rate (128). I notice that when I go into cool down, my heart will start jumping 150 and up.. and it takes several minutes for my heart rate to finally drop.

Anyone else have this experience?

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Great Day!

I got my new pacemaker on the 5th of March this year and it was a rough go for me. I posted a few questions about this and that and I had some very mixed emotions about the answers I received.

Today, it has turned out that I just feel great! It doesn't matter to me anymore, because who really cares anyway! I sure don't! ha ha!

I have been outside doing the gardening, mostly clean-up, swept the garage, all that sand from the snow melting off my car and I have had a great...

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Golf!

Anybody get out yet? I will in the next week. Could have been out a few weeks ago but visualized myself in the middle of a big field by myself and creeped myself out! Will not happen again!

Gary

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exercise /pain

I have had my PM for about nine months..everything ok...exercise quite a bit..cardio and weights ..started new program involving a lot of upper body stuff..now have a lot of pain in ( particularly) my left shoulder and upper arm......have a back-up appt. with my GP in 2 weeks...so hoping it's ok...Google said it might be a "frozen shoulder" which apparently happens with exrecise and PM's?? any thoughts?? Thanx!..Susan E.

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Walked to the supermarket

Ok, for the first time in 2 weeks, I was able to venture out to the supermarket walking. It's about 8-10 blocks, I was worried most of the time that either the PM will kick in or the ICD will shock me! Nothing happened, the only thing that happened was when I got back, I was sweating, maybe from the panic attack that I had just walked that long.

The scar tissue is hurting me right now, since some of my skin around the area was sweaty! I have always been a big sweat-er, so I am not to...

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Swimming????

I had been swimming up until sev. months before I got the PM - three workouts a week averaging over 2000 meters each. Am concerned about swimming again as the freestyle stroke involves a huge amount of upper chest stretching and rotation. Are there any swimmers out there with a PM who went back to vigorous swimming?

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I am 16 today & my pacemaker is 6 months old!

Today i am celebrating my 16 birthday!!!! But it feels like its just my 1st Birthday because my life changed a year ago when i began passing out everyday! After waiting 6months to recieve a pacemaker i can now say that 6 months after recieving the pacemaker i am a whole new person and see the world in a whole new perspective!! My pacemaker was just a lifesaver and a device that not only keeps me upright but it also allows me to lead a somewhat normal life!! I am so happy these days...i am playin...

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How to start

I read the other runners post and it got me thinking. I walked 3 miles per day while pregnant with my daughter...who is now turning 2. Since then and especially since the PM implant I haven't done any type of exercising although I am medically cleared to. I've just been too afraid of my own heartbeat to do it.

I read all the posts on how wonderful running can be...so I would like to give it a try. Is there a way to begin that kind of training when you have a pacemaker and have never r...

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running

Hi,
had my pacemaker fitted six weeks ago,Previously had run 20 marathons,lots of half marathons & covered a lot of milage in training, prior to having my pm fitted i was running half marathons, i have now decided to run up to the half marathon distance[ lost intrest in marathons]can Any one out there give me any advice for starting to get back into running with a pm fitted.Also anyone experienced using a sauna / hot tub with a pm.
many thanks
...

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Hi all!

Hi everyone! I am mother to a fantastic daughter (9) who received a medtronic device at UCLA when she was 5. She is a very sporty girl but does not currently play any sports except for school. I have a doctor who looks like a ken doll but is pretty sassy/bossy (as all young men can be..lol) and he told us initially that mary could not even play video games..we still think she cant play the ones that has the cord attaches to the tv here at my house but her dad says its ok and she plays mariocart...

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tennis/track

pm installed 1/27/2010. after 8 weeks, dr orders i resumed playing tennis. no problems with stamina or range of motion. i havewith the run sprints in the senior olympics, age group 69-74. i run against runners who run in 10-20 meets a year. i have won gold in state meets in the 100 and 200 meters. now with the pm, my surgeon and cardio guy really dont have an opinion as whether i can resume sprinting. they have no problem with distance running but are concerned with the stress and impact from a...

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You know you're wired when...

You forecast electrical storms better than the weather network.

Member Quotes

I live an extremely normal life now and my device does NOT hinder me in any way.