Diabetes, heart disease and exercise

[Concerned]

Hi, I've just joined this forum because I am looking for advice for my husband. He had a heart attack two years ago, as a result of which he had a stent fitted and is now on medication for his heart problem. At the same time he was found to have T2 diabetes. He manages his diabetes pretty well without medication (so far) and exercise. My question is: what kind of exercise can he safely take? At present he is afraid to do anything more strenuous than walking in case he strains his heart. He is 60, with BMI around 20, and certainly doesn't need to lose weight: but it seems to me that he is losing muscle and I don't know whether it would be helpful for him to do additional exercise in addition to his walking.

I would be interested to hear from anyone in a similar situation with advice.

Thank you!

 

[anna29]

Hello Concerned.

Welcome to the forum and us all :wave:

I have had open heart surgery and do a chair based exercise class weekly.
There is a range of suitable exersise's to keep us all supple and help poor joints and weakened
muscles.
Also fall prevention is shown and taught to us - plus how to fall safer techniques are shown and taught
It ISNT a cardio exercise class so it is safer for me to use and attend.
It is held at a local church hall just 3mins from my home.
We also have a brew and a quiz afterwards - so it gives us all the chance to chat/socially too .

Swimming is another way to exercise and NOT overstress the heart - your husband could just
do an Aqua class in the shallow pool section .

Where I live there are 'many' classes in both aqua and gentle exercise classes for the over 50's...
I only found out by enquiring of them .

Try enquiries locally to your home areas, sports centres,library,churches,even chemist/GP can
have this info, some supermarkets advertise these on a notice board.

Hope this can help you both.
Any other questions - just ask - we all help each other here :thumbup:

Anna.

 

[LittleGreyCat]

One thought - it sounds as though the diabetes is not the main problem, but the heart.
Given that, a forum for people with heart issues is possibly likely to give more informed advice on heart issues.

I assume that you are talking to your GP and have also used the local physiotherapist services to come up with an exercise regime?

Also, you might consider whole body exercises such as Yoga, which can be tailored to all levels of experience and ability.

Welcome to the forum - not trying to put you off just noting where our main expertise is.

Cheers

LGC

 

[Concerned]

Thank you Anna and LittleGreyCat. We're not in the UK, so don't have access to the same services, eg physiotherapy or any forms of medically supervised exercise. Aqua is available at the nearest gym. There are no yoga classes, but we have done yoga at home in the past, so I think we may go back to doing that. There is a weekly Tai Chi class, which we dropped out of because it is at a very inconvenient time for us both, but I shall try to get back to that as well.
LGC, I get your point about asking the question on a forum with heart issues, but the only one I know of is in French and I'm not as confident posting in French! If you know of one, I'd be very grateful. (Having said that, shortly after posting my question the weekly email came through from this forum with links to a programme of "10 minutes pour votre cœur" - 10 minutes of exercise for your heart. Synchronicity at work there?)
Thank you again.

 

[Dark Horse]

This is a useful booklet for patients who have had stent surgery and includes advice about exercise http://www.newcastle-hospitals.org...._Coronary_Angioplasty_and_Stent_Insertion.pdf

This covers exercise as well and includes warning signs of when to stop exercising http://www.ouh.nhs.uk/patient-guide/leaflets/files/121219cardiacrehab.pdf

 

[Concerned]

Dark Horse, thank you for those two links, and my apologies for not responding earlier.

Btw, we are in Morocco. Good doctors, state of the art clinics (for those with medical insurance): but absolutely no inter-disciplinary follow-up, no "cardiac rehabilitation" or "cardiac rehabilitation nurses".

 

[Chrisspiller]

Hi, I had a multiple bypass just 3 months ago, due to complications I now have only 2 working arteries to my heart. Getting back to walking again was hard enough! I attend a cardiac care fitness class run by my local hospital, so I realise how lucky I am to be supervised when I exercise. I'm also surprised at how hard the cardiac nurses want me to exercise, however, I have to get used to the fact that I'll probably never run again! I am having to learn to listen to what my body tells me, I have to slow down before I get too tired, or I'll pay for it later with slower recovery times etc. the main thing I find is to do lots of gentle exercise, I will walk for a couple of miles with the family three or four times a week. We live in a hilly area (the Chilterns) so it can be quite strenuous (I stop to admire the view a lot!) I suppose the point I'm trying to make is that I no longer exercise to the point where I'm a sweaty worn out wreck like I used to, but I do as much walking as I can, and have to remember my limits.


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[hanadr]

Walking is as good a form of exercise as any. For muscle building the exercise needs to be against resistance. A set of resistance bands is inexpensive and you can do as much as with weights, but it doesn't injure you if you drop the equipment on your foot.
I think the advice to seek out classes is good. I do 5 - 6 classes per week. These have the added benefit of the social side.
Hana

 

[nattyboy]

Hello!
I had a quadruple by-pass in March 2004. The post-op care was excellent by a Zambian Muslim surgeon. He stressed the fact that the heart is a muscle and HAS TO stressed physically so that it can strengthen. He advised walking initially, extending the distances covered at a moderate pace.(I started inside the house, then around the house) Today I do varying speeds on my treadmill, including inclines without any side-effects. Moderate, regular activity is the key! Hope this helps! (Some of my sunny South African East Coast weather would help too

 

[IanD]

Hi. My wife had a heart attack 10 years ago, and had 3 stents inserted.

Please note: I am not a health professional, and I can only reply from experience. How much exercise you can do safely should be assessed by your medical team. I would strongly recommend BP & BG meters, so you can monitor your condition before and after any exercise.

Ealing Hospital (W. London) had a 4 stage heart rehab exercise programme to build up heart function and confidence. Blood pressure & pulse were noted to minimise possible risks. Patients have various heart conditions, including stents & by-pass. I joined the scheme at stage 4, about 7 years ago, to take my wife. (I'm T2 diabetic, without heart problems.)

Stage 4 has evolved into a "club" with about 20 members (normally 12 at a time) doing a gym circuit - warm-up exercises, a range of activities including bike; rowing; big ball; badminton; table tennis; etc. A rough assessment is that all involved are more active than they would have been without the heart attack & rehab.

My wife had her heart attack at the swimming bath - she got out and collapsed. Back home about 6 weeks later. In addition to the gym, she swims about 40 lengths (1 Km) most days and cycles 1 mile each way to the baths.