Jump to content

What Happens To Your Heart Rate With Exercise?


valliali

Recommended Posts

I have found my ANS issues to be improving over the years and now feel like I am ready to exercise again. I once was a collegiate division 1 athlete, so exercising is something that has always been huge in my life. After first noticing the onset of my symptoms, I used to force myself to the gym, despite heart rates in the 220s. Over time however it became impossible to exercise, as my heart rate was way too high, even on beta blockers. Today was the first day I really exercised in months. It is something I am very nervous about doing. For me, even on propranolol, my heart rate still gets uncomfortably high. Probably around 170 is where it maxes, but this is without really pushing it. I know it's not alarming, but I can tell it's not natural, as it is uncomfortable. I also find that after exercising, I am very uncomfortable. Lots of chest tightness and my heart feels very forceful and fast. Now, about eight hours after the exercise, I can still feel my heart racing. A racing heart is not something I deal with much in my everyday life anymore at rest. Usually my heart only races when exposed to stimuli, but for me to be sitting here at my computer, feeling my heart race shouldn't be much of an issue.

I am curious as to how others are affected. I know I also have inappropriate sinus tachycardia, but I was kind of hoping that was getting better too. Do you guys also find your heart to go way too fast during exercise, and while at rest afterwards? What about the chest tightness, not during, but immediately after, for about an hour?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi! I just found out I have IAST too so I'm interested to hear how you deal with it and POTS. I have found that a rebumbant bike is the best way for me to exercise right now. With any other exercise my heart rate gets too high so I can't exercise for very long. I"m hoping to work up to other more vigorous exercise. If you are working out with such a high heart rate I would think that you might be working anaerobically. If you are working out anaerobically I would think that you deplete your carbohydrate stores very quickly and maybe thats why you feel worse hours after exercise. Does eating something right after you exercise make any difference? Are you sure you rehydrate after exercise? Those are my only thoughts.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I used to exercise a lot and was in great shape pre-POTS. Now when I do the treadmill or EFX, my heart rate gets into the 150s to 160s, and I'm just really tired out after I'm done. I don't think that's too bad, though, I think it's about 80% of my max HR, which is where my HR was before when I worked out. This is at a moderate pace, not pushing myself too hard.

Cheers,

Jana

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you can stand it (no pun intended), then I suggest YOGA. It doesn't get your heart rate up that high and it really helps. Otherwise, I use a stationary bike. I can run for about 5 minutes right now but hope to increase it. I know your heart rate will increase so I use a heart rate monitor just to see how high it gets. Obviously, 220 is too high. I try to keep it around 160.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The chest tightness, feeling unnatural and extended duration of effect from exercise that you describe all sound like things to be cautious of. I think a well tempered "rehab" approach would be wise. Some folks have luck keeping cautiously under a certain pulse, then slowly build up a tolerance to more and more over time. Definitely do all you can to be "in good circumstance" when you exercise, like hydration & such. I find most of all that the state I happen to be in before exercising is the most determinant factor to how I respond to it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I try to keep my HR about 30/min higher than it was when I was resting (tend to so seated gentle cardio so standing isn't a factor). So if I was at 90/min at rest I will exercise at 120/min which is enough to get me breathless. My trainer says it is better to do a longer time at lower intensity for me to help me build up stamina. If I exercise without watching my HR (ie row hard or run on a treadmill my HR will hit 200 easily).

Flop

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I need to excersize! But it hurts my chest so much. I know that when I went to do a stress test once they told me my target HR was 140 bpm. LOL I was 145 with in less then 1 min into the test. They stood next to me with the paddles for the duration of the test. Made me feel nice and secure :P Just standing my HR goes into the 120s, if I stand and talk 130s, if I actually move 140s, and heaven forbid I actually like take a walk with my kids (which anyone around little child know is at a snail's pace) its in the 170s. I don't know what would be "safe" to do for excersize.

~Kelli

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I went a walk today and tried to walk faster than usual (actually because I saw the post van driving towards my street and didn't want to miss parcels I was expecting!) I didn't last long doing that because my chest started to hurt, I was wearing my heart rate watch at the time and it was 177.

Dang!! Luckily I didn't miss the parcels though :P But now I'm tired!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My Dr. really stresses exercise if you can physically do it. So over the past 7 months I have pushed myself to exercise as much as possible. When I was first diagnosed with POTS back in August of 2008, I was actually walking on a treadmill at the Cleveland Clinic with my mom and my heart rate went well above 230, thats when we had somewhat of an inkling of an idea that maybe it was a heart condition that had been plaguing me for the past year. So moving ahead to the exercise plan I am on now...

When I first started my heart rate would sky rocket so I had to start slow and take it easy but my drs. gave me some helpful hints for keeping my hr down during my workout. Like drinking 20 oz. of water right before I'd work out and I take metoprolol so they suggested trying to take it 30 minutes before I work out. I found this really helps! I always make sure to drink another 20 oz. of gatorade completely during my workout.

I work out for 30 minutes either on the treadmill or the eliptical. and then work with a trainer on weights for 30 minutes to build up the muscles in my legs and core stomach. My heart rate stays constiently at about 150 to 165 now, however I do notice it drops randomly throughout my workout down to 80 and 60 sometimes and then jumps right back up after a little bit. I am normally pretty exhausted from work before I even start to work out and during my work out I am extremely tired. But for about 45 minutes afterwards its the best I feel all day, its what keeps me going to the gym each day actually.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you can stand it (no pun intended), then I suggest YOGA. It doesn't get your heart rate up that high and it really helps. Otherwise, I use a stationary bike. I can run for about 5 minutes right now but hope to increase it. I know your heart rate will increase so I use a heart rate monitor just to see how high it gets. Obviously, 220 is too high. I try to keep it around 160.

I echo what Kari says. Don't try the exercises you did when you were healthy, you probably can't do them now. You'll have to research and find out what you can do....a physical therapist can help immensely there. As long as my HR stays around 160 I consider my exercising a success. It starts creeping toward 180 and I stop immediately.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm usually a very positive person, but I've got to say: "I'M SO JEALOUS!!!!!!!!!!" :)

I have never been able to push past a quick walk without seeing stars. Even on BBs my HR is easily above 160 when I exercise. They stopped my cardiac stress test when my HR went above 180, which is still does, even on BBs. I've tried Pilates Mat work (completely supine and on my BB) and my HR was in the 140-170 bpm range. If I even attempt to walk above 4 miles an hour, I'll start dry heaving! How do you do it? I've been consistent and faithful for over a year now and have made only the tiniest bit of cardiovascular improvement. I'm as strong as an ox and can bench or do just about anything anaerobic, but once I get moving, my HR goes haywire!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I work out for 30 minutes either on the treadmill or the eliptical. and then work with a trainer on weights for 30 minutes to build up the muscles in my legs and core stomach. My heart rate stays constiently at about 150 to 165 now, however I do notice it drops randomly throughout my workout down to 80 and 60 sometimes and then jumps right back up after a little bit. I am normally pretty exhausted from work before I even start to work out and during my work out I am extremely tired. But for about 45 minutes afterwards its the best I feel all day, its what keeps me going to the gym each day actually.

Wow that's great, I miss exercise, I'm wanting to get back into it more really.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I wish I may, I wish I might, have a heart that would beat just right.

So if it did, and if it would just beat just right, mabe I could excercise tonight.

But instead I huff and puff and I'm forced to sit, drink lots of water with salt really quick.

Then when I can finally get up and try to get back to bed, I feel really sick.

This thing called, "POTS," it's like having a nostop flu.

BUT, if it wasn't for my online friends I don't know what I'd do.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL MY FRIENDS~

BLESSINGS AND LOVE TO ALL HERE~

((((HUGS))))

Bellamia~

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am not sure how I do it to be honest. It took me a long time to get me to this level of working out. Because a year ago I all skin and bones and looked terrible, I could barely stand for more than a minute without going into a spell. If you told me to go exercise I would have said you are crazy and can go jump off a bridge. I tried and it took everything I had, I would push myself too hard (which I probably still do) because I've been an competitive athlete playing soccer year round ever since I was 10 up until college. That is what kills me about being in the gym I know what I used to be able to do and now that I can't its awful. I am still coming to terms with having POTS and how it plays a role into what I can and can't do and how I have to modify what I want to do....But when I would wind up in the hopsital with severe migranes, dehydration, nausea, vomiting, my hr and bp would be going nuts.

But then I found a doctor who understood POTS and started getting on a game plan and got in to see Vanderbilt Universitys Automonic Dysfunction Clinic. Both my Dr. and Vanderbilt work together which is really nice. and they said that my job was to try and get in an exercise program (I just graduated from college in May and got married too! but since the economy was so bad and my husbands job had us moving to a different city for only 6 months I couldnt find a job and really didn't have the energy and ability to have a fulltime job at that point so thus the exercise plan started) it was slow at first, really slow. I would walk and watch tv. which helped distract me from what was going on with my heart and kept me calm.

I've felt really great the past several months besides general symptoms that linger everyday that are annoying but the past few weeks my symptoms have picked back up more severely with fatigue, heart racing, numbness in fingers and feet, lightheadness, a feeling of drunkness, and my joints feel like they need some wd-40. so doctor has me wearing a heart monitor for 30 days to check things out. but i am continuing to workout because the dr says the progress made so far has been good and he'd hate for it to be lost, as would i! all that money invested in a gym and trainer! but also its worth those 30/45 mins of feeling on top of the world afterward. someone posted in a different thread about how saline IVs made them feel awesome, I feel the same way after my work out, it could be all the powerade i am guzzling down!

How does everyone cope with ups and downs of POTS? I find so overwhelming

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Firewatcher and Potsinbama~

Talk about being jealous! Wow...I am so envious that you can work full-time AND do a pretty full work-out schedule, too. What kind of POTS do you have? Do you deal with high or low BP? I can't work and I'm lucky to make it to the gym 4 days a week for about 30-40 minutes of moderate aerobic activity - treadmill, EFX, CrossTrainer. I can't do weights, they simply wear me out entirely. I do make sure to always work my abs, though. The only reason I think I can do this much exercise is because like you, I used to be in really good shape.

I'm happy you can do all these things. Take care!

Jana

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Firewatcher and Potsinbama~

Talk about being jealous! Wow...I am so envious that you can work full-time AND do a pretty full work-out schedule, too. What kind of POTS do you have? Do you deal with high or low BP? I can't work and I'm lucky to make it to the gym 4 days a week for about 30-40 minutes of moderate aerobic activity - treadmill, EFX, CrossTrainer. I can't do weights, they simply wear me out entirely. I do make sure to always work my abs, though. The only reason I think I can do this much exercise is because like you, I used to be in really good shape.

I'm happy you can do all these things. Take care!

Jana

Jana, I CAN'T work full time. I work part time, when I can. I can't do 20 minutes of mild aerobic activity, forget moderate! I might be able to go 2 minutes on an eliptical, it is too much like climbing stairs. But hey, I guess something is better than nothing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have low blood pressure, very low.

And I just started working November 20. My last two semesters of College I only took 1 class each semester as I was at my lowest point with POTS thus far so its been a tough transition into the working world after having my days free to nap and take care of my body.

But now that I've been feeling better my parents and new husband pushed for me to try and get a job. We live in a college town and the University has a temporary employment service so since I am a temp I have some lenancy while trying this job thing out.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That is a very low BP! Is that when you're first standing after being supine? Do you know why your doctor has you taking metoprolol tartrate when that drug is for lowering your BP?? I'm concerned that you're not on Florinef or Midodrine to help raise your BP. My numbers usually go from 100/65 supine with HR of 60 (I have a pacemaker for Bradycardia) to about 70/58 when standing, HR from 115-140. And all my docs keep me away from any meds that could bring my BP down....Do you have a POTS specialist? Are you a fainter like me?

Take care,

Jana

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry I should have prefaced that with my blood pressure has come up recently! So i am around the 100's! finally broke through! When I started all the meds and the POTS process of diagnosis I didn't have a grasp of what was really going on with my body but my dad who is wonderful gets its all and takes meticulous notes in every appointment and questions each move we are making towards my treatment. Without him I'd be so overwhelmed. But from the notes I was put on the medicine to keep my bp from rising to high when would do any activity. I have tried florinef but had severe reactions to it. And yes I am a fainter.

I do have a POTS specialist, who I adore. After going through a few doctors that tried to pretend they knew what POTS was. We finally found someone close to home that we trust and feel comfortable with his knowledge and his staff (which have made themselves available 24/7 by phone, email, text message, anything you name it they get back to me asap even if its for the smallest question or concern).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...