just about to get 1st pacemaker

hi Guys. In hospital in Panama waiting for a PM to be in stalled.
HR 35-45bpm over past two years but first time a doc did an ecg and questioned it.

Anyway I am told I am getting a dual chamber boston PM. Not sure what model but assuming S603.

My questions are about geting back into exercise afterwards. Was always active and played comp sport till 45. Then mainly gym and cycling until it all got too hard.

Love the interval training for cardio and gym. what will happen when I go spinning or doing 1m intervals on treadmill?

I know I have to take it easy on the upper body for a few weeks until the injury heals. what else can I expect

Wayne - 54 yr old working in Panama

4 Comments

Good luck!

by Tracey_E - 2014-03-05 06:03:04

If you had to stop exercising, then you are overdue for a fix! Make sure your docs know that you cycle. It can affect which pm they give you. Did they say why your rate is low? What happens when you exercise depends on how you pace. If you have av block, then your sinus node will set the pace, all the pm has to do is make sure the ventricles beat when the atria does. If you have SSS or other sinus dysfunction, then the pm will sense when you exercise- either from movement or increased breathing- and it will raise your rate for you. This is why your doc should know you cycle, because when we're on a bike there is little to no movement for the pm to sense.

You should be able to do light cardio as soon as you feel up to it. It's important to move your arm so your shoulder doesn't freeze, just keep it below shoulder level and don't lift anything heavy. Other than that, do whatever you feel up to.

You also might want to discuss placement with your surgeon. If you play contact sports, you might want it placed a little lower and deeper. Some drs put it right under the skin, just under the collarbone. This is the easiest and heals the fastest, but it's also the easiest to bump. You won't hurt the pm because it's titanium, but it will bruise if you take a direct hit to it. Active people sometimes prefer to have a little padding over it. I love to hike, so mine is out of the way of a backpack strap.

Returning to fitness journey

by TJ319 - 2014-03-15 12:03:43

I too love spinning, cycling, running and swimming, all forms of cardio. I received my pm in November, for low heart rate and SSS. I am 66 and have been into fitness for most of my adult life. The return to fitness has been a bit of a journey. After other medical procedures, stint, hernia, prostate cancer surgery, and subsequent radiation, I tended to try to go hard and fast as I worked out. What I am learning now is to approach exercise more slowly and take what my body gives so to speak. My docs and the PM technicians have said that it takes time to adjust the settings for people who exercise a lot. I recommend you journal what you are experiencing as you get back into it and use that data on your follow up visits.

I began running at about 4 weeks post procedure, spinning around 6 and swimming at 8. I have had to consciously slow down and reduce the intensity, especially while spinning. However the good news is my PM settings seem right and I can do all forms of exercise now with great pleasure!

To protect your PM you might consider buying some form of pad. I posted earlier about the Evo Shield shirts that are designed for shooters with a pad strategically fit into the shirt that covers the PM location.

Good luck!

slow but steady so far

by Crowls - 2014-03-16 04:03:56

thanks for your support and feedback. It is good to know that others have been through this and recovered.

bit of a shock being hospital and bed after 42 years without an injury other than torn calf muscle.

Been walking the dog 3-4 kms per day. this morning jogged for 250m as part of the walk. Bit short of breath afterwards. thinking I should probably wear my HRM and watch and monitor my HR when I go walking or exercising. no issues with this is there?

I would love to do more but I will take it easy and rehab correctly.

Interval work

by MEP - 2014-03-23 10:03:03

I'm now 67 and was moderately competitive (30 triathlons over 20+ years). PM placed 4 years ago and ablation for atrial flutter/fib followed. I too have a Boston Scientific S603 dual chamber.

Post implantation I went slowly. I have a group I bike with and chose to not bike with them the first year as I adjusted. Now I am a little stronger than my old rival in the bike group. I no longer compete and have not done another tri but swim, bike and run without problems.

However, intervals remain very difficult. You will notice a sudden weak feeling (and maybe an irregular beat) if your push to the upper limit of you device. My device is set at 155 for max and I just stay under that, I think. (I don't wear a monitor). When doing hills, either on bike or when running I can tell when I'm maxed out. I also have been known to trigger some atrial fib which I can sense immediately mostly by onset of weakness.

Finally, I'm much slower than prior to PM. This may be age as much as the PM. I did a 1/2marathon prior to the pacemaker and averaged 9:00/mi. I did a 5K last week and could only manage 9:30's for the distance.

Mic Jogger.

You know you're wired when...

Your favorite poem is “Ode to a Cardiac Node”.

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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.