If you’re not accustomed to regular exercise and you’ve received an afib diagnosis, it’s very important to ease your way into an exercise routine. People with afib “need to progressively build strength and endurance,” Hussein says.
Eventually, he says, you’ll want to build up to doing about 30 minutes of physical activity at least five days a week, or about 2.5 hours of mild to moderate exercise each week. This recommendation is in line with the current Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans.
Regardless of how new you are to exercise, it’s a good idea to keep track of your pulse both at peak activity and while you’re recovering, Hussein says. Your doctor can recommend a target heart rate range for exercise.
Here are six types of exercise that may be beneficial if you have atrial fibrillation:
1. Cardiac Rehabilitation Training with a specialist in a medically monitored setting may be a good way to start exercising if you’ve been hospitalized for afib, Hussein says.
For people with atrial fibrillation, exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation programs can improve exercise capacity, as well as reduce afib recurrence, symptom severity, and the length of episodes.
Upon completing six months of cardiac rehabilitation, people with afib also had a 68 percent reduced risk of mortality, 44 percent reduced risk of rehospitalization, and 16 percent reduced risk of stroke.
3. Swimming Swimming and other pool-based aerobic exercises can be a good way to work out “but not at a competitive level, from an afib-risk standpoint,” says Hussein. If you find yourself out of breath or feel like you’re otherwise having difficulty, it’s important to get out of the pool and sit down for a while, he says.
4. Bicycling Using a stationary or regular bicycle can be a good form of activity, but make sure to maintain a mild or moderate intensity. Avoid settings that encourage heavy exertion, such as a spin class.
5. Physical Chores Physical activity doesn’t have to mean doing exercise separately from your daily tasks. In addition to walking, you can count gardening, digging, and raking as exercise, as long as it gets your heart rate up.
6. Yoga In a study, people with afib who did 60 minutes of yoga six days a week improved their symptoms, heart rate, functional capacity, and quality of life.
No matter what activity you’re doing, if you experience any symptoms related to atrial fibrillation, such as lightheadedness or chest pain or pressure, stop and rest for a while. And if you have more serious symptoms, such as intense chest pain, go to the emergency room immediately or call your local emergency services.
In most cases, moderate-intensity exercise is safe to do. “Aerobic activity is good,” says Hussein. “But don’t push your limits.” If, as you are exercising, talking becomes difficult or you find yourself out of breath, reduce the intensity of your exercise until your symptoms level out. Be sure to give yourself plenty of time to warm up and cool down, so that your heart rate and breathing can adjust to the physical activity.
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