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Heart Disease (Expert Forum)
Exercise After Bypass
This forum is for questions and support regarding heart issues such as: Angina, Angioplasty, Arrhythmia, Bypass Surgery, Cardiomyopathy, Coronary Artery Disease, Defibrillator, Heart Attack, Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure, Mitral Valve Prolapse, Pacemaker, PAD, Stenosis, Stress Tests.
Exercise After Bypass
by naila, Sep 17, 2000 12:00AM
My father had a triple bypass in December '99. The operation was successful and all has been going very well for him for the past ten months. My question is a little odd, but here goes:
My father is 52 years old and has always been very active. He resumed exercising almost immediately after his surgery and has been feeling very well and energetic. For the past 15 years, he has competed in the Pharaoh's Rally in Cairo, Egypt (where he lives)- a desert car race which spans 11 days of intensive racing and desert driving. It requires 12 hours of heavy driving per day, for 11 days. It's a very stressful event and he has registered to enter (taking my fitness-crazed, healthy-but-worried-about-her-husband mother with him as co-pilot!). He is a veteran at this race, but I am worried that he is overdoing it returning to the race before a year has passed on his heart attack and surgery. He suffered a pretty major heart attack; and even though he recently climbed to 3500 meters in the Swiss Alps on foot without feeling tired, I fear that 11 days of intense rally racing may be a tad too much, too soon. He has been exercising daily for 1 hour on cardiovascular machines and light weight lifting and can walk up to 20 km per day without fatigue. Still, all this pales in comparison to the stress of this competition/race he is so intent on joining.
Aside from the fact that he's a wacko for wanting to do this, is there any other reason to make him take it easy this year - or am I just being an obsessively concerned daughter?
Thank you so much for your advice in advance.
My father is 52 years old and has always been very active. He resumed exercising almost immediately after his surgery and has been feeling very well and energetic. For the past 15 years, he has competed in the Pharaoh's Rally in Cairo, Egypt (where he lives)- a desert car race which spans 11 days of intensive racing and desert driving. It requires 12 hours of heavy driving per day, for 11 days. It's a very stressful event and he has registered to enter (taking my fitness-crazed, healthy-but-worried-about-her-husband mother with him as co-pilot!). He is a veteran at this race, but I am worried that he is overdoing it returning to the race before a year has passed on his heart attack and surgery. He suffered a pretty major heart attack; and even though he recently climbed to 3500 meters in the Swiss Alps on foot without feeling tired, I fear that 11 days of intense rally racing may be a tad too much, too soon. He has been exercising daily for 1 hour on cardiovascular machines and light weight lifting and can walk up to 20 km per day without fatigue. Still, all this pales in comparison to the stress of this competition/race he is so intent on joining.
Aside from the fact that he's a wacko for wanting to do this, is there any other reason to make him take it easy this year - or am I just being an obsessively concerned daughter?
Thank you so much for your advice in advance.
Doctor's Answer
by CCF CARDIO MD - DLB, Sep 17, 2000 12:00AM
I do not know your father, but my guess is that you would not be able to stop him from racing even if you wanted to. Given his active lifestyle since the surgery, he should probably do just fine with this race. You may just want to remind him to take his medicines with him (as opposed to skipping any needed medicines for the entire 11 days).
Member Comments (1)
by RainerL, Sep 22, 2009 10:45PM
A related discussion, Post By Pass Surgery Exercise/Sport activities was started.
