How to Select and Start a Routine
There isn’t one ideal exercise routine for people living with HCM: It largely boils down to individual preference, health status, and physical ability.
The first step is an assessment of your heart health. “Cardiologists use tools such as echocardiograms, cardiac MRIs, and heart rhythm monitors to help risk stratify patients,” says Dr. Lief.
As far as your overall fitness, these benchmarks can give you a good sense of your base level:
- What is your pulse rate before and right after walking 1 mile?
- How long does it take to walk 1 mile?
- How many standard or modified pushups can you do in a row?
- How good is your range of motion in places like your hips, knees, ankles, shoulders, and elbows?
- What is your waist circumference?
Choosing Your Workout
After you get the green light from your cardiologist, the next step is to determine your own personal fitness goals. For example, do you want to improve your overall health, or gain strength and build more stamina? Are you interested in mastering a new skill, such as learning to swim or do the tango?
Other important considerations: Do you prefer to exercise solo, or would you enjoy a group class or sport? Do you want to be inside or outside? What kind of gear will you need?
“Simple and functional tasks such as walking, jogging, swimming, and body-weight resistance exercises are great recommendations because they do not require much equipment,” says Leo Arguelles, DPT, a cardiovascular and pulmonary physical therapist based in Chicago and a spokesperson for the American Physical Therapy Association.
You may want to try out some different activities and workouts to see what you enjoy and what feels good in your body. It may also help to consult a physical therapist, who can tailor an exercise plan to your individual circumstances.
“Physical therapists offer modifications for cardio and strength training goals and education on breathing techniques,” says Dr. Arguelles. “They educate about overexertion and warning signs to ensure safe progression of intensity during a workout.”
Whatever you choose, experts agree you should take it slowly.
“The most successful exercise program is often the one that is enjoyable enough to become a habit,” says Lief. “Starting slowly and gradually increasing activity is usually better than trying to do too much too soon.”
“The focus should be on consistency and incremental, steady progress,” says Arguelles.
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