Yoga and thai chi

Hi Everyone,
I joint the club this morning. I had a PM 4 weeks ago and I was very happy to come across this wed site, I had a lot of answers from the expreince and knowledge of all the people who had PM for a long time. I used to go to hatha yoga (steching) classes twice a week before my PM, but I am afraid if I go back and streching my arm will make the leads get loose, did any one of you go back to yoga after you had your PM, and when did you go back. Is thai chi better or easier than yoga on the people who have had a PM.
Thank you for any suggestion you make
Hala

5 Comments

Stretching

by ElectricFrank - 2010-07-20 02:07:18

Most activities should be OK after 4 weeks, but with things like Yoga where stretching is focused it might be better to wait a few more weeks.

An alternative is to keep the stretches gentle in the arm. One advantage of an awareness exercise like yoga is that you have more ability to control your activity. Doing gently stretches avoids having problems with a frozen shoulder.

frank

Takes a while

by qwerty - 2010-07-21 05:07:54

Hi.
I got my little PM on January 25, 2010. So I have a few more months than you do. My Dr said no stretching or moving my arm over my head for 6 weeks after that, he said it would be fine.
After 6 weeks, I found I was very stiff and the area around the PM was still very sore and it took me awhile to get where I could do the stretches again. I took them slow and only streteched as far as I didn't feel pressure. It took 6 months before I could do the stretching where I was before PM.
Now, It is fine.
Just follow your Dr. Advice and take it slow and you will be fine.
Hope you heal soon.

Cherell

Yoga/TaiChi

by riodog - 2010-07-22 12:07:14

Hi,
Can't comment on Yoga as I've never done it. I have been practicing tai chi since 1991 and it means a lot to me. I'm not particularly good at it but it does give me peace and exercise. It give your legs an excellent workout as you are working the large leg muscles all of the time. It helps your balance when you do kicks. I like the challenge it gives me to try and do it properly and I like the way it makes me think things thru. If I do this what happens, or if I do that what will happen? I find my posture and balance continually adjusting and that gives you whole body movement. For me it was a choice of regaining my skill on a French Horn or learning to do Tai Chi because of time constraints. I opted for Tai Chi as I thought it would benefit me more over the long haul and for me it was the right choice. Be warned---it is not as easy as it looks. Many people begin it but most will drop out. If you find a good teacher you will be blessed---not a whole lot of them around. Don't mean to discourage you but that's the way it is. OH--you need buy no equipment except maybe a pair of flat-souled shoes and you can do it anywhere. I've done it in the Calif. Redwoods, in a hospital recovering from an emergency appendectomy, at a roadside rest stop at midnight, beside a lake, etc. etc. etc. I am still working to get back to the skill I had before my PM in 2009 and I enjoy every minute of the work.

gretchen

Re: Yoga and Pacemakers

by Lars - 2010-07-24 12:07:30

Hi Halah

Fact: I have met pacemaker patients who doing yoga have either 1) crimped their pacemaker lead between the upper ribs and the collar bone ... and/or 2) dislodged their pacemaker wires ... the key here is no excessive hyper-extension or hyper-flexion of the shoulder joints ... so tempting in yoga though ... hope this helps as a precautionary message only ... not to frighten you from something you obviously enjoy and would gain benefit from ... it's about not going to extremes again ... Lars, www.cardiacathletes.org

afraid of downward dog

by congabebe - 2010-08-02 01:08:38

Hi,
I am overweight, definitely a beginner Yoga-wanta-Be, I had been taking beginning Yoga for 2 months roughly. And I was amazed at the strength I got in my legs and arms. I will add that the Yoga helped me survive the hospital. I could not sit up without severe pain in chest from the CPR, but I could manuver cause my legs were strong from doing the Bridge Pose and it really saved me.
Now since my PM was put in, it has been about 2 months since I had it put in. It is mainly there to Defig, the pacemaker only kicks in when it is needed. So far, it has not kicked in. My chest is still sore from CPR they did on me. And the PM is still sore depending on how I move. I think I still have some swelling from it in my left arm. So I am reluctant to do any poses that envolve weight on my hands and with my arms extended overhead. So I am glad I saw your post above. Tai Chi... I want to take it but trick will be to find a class that I can attend after work hours. I have a David Caradine (the Kung Fu actor) it is great for Tai Chi and Chi Gong, but I haven't worked out with it much. I think that will be my goal to start back with it. I want my balance back. Since my cardiac event, I have been so weak and clumsy. I think that will help me. Thanks for your post.

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As for my pacemaker (almost 7 years old) I like to think of it in the terms of the old Timex commercial - takes a licking and keeps on ticking.