How long to wait for high impact cardio following ablation

Hi everyone,

I had an ablation on Friday the 20th of July. This Saturday will be 3 weeks and I'm curious how long I need to hold off on intense exercise (cycling, running, weightlifting, etc). Natale told me 7 days to normal activity but I'm not sure high impact cardio is in the the normal activity category.

I'll probably lay off power lifting until I'm out of the blanking period but I'd really like to get back to running & cycling.

My understanding is that the scarring/healing process will be ongoing for 6-10 weeks following the procedure and it's more a function of what I can tolerate more so than any danger to my heart. What do you guys think?

Thanks!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/08/2018 02:57PM by ragatx.

Following my first ablation I waited 3 months before starting back to light spinning. In the interim I did allot of walking. I was told I could start sooner but I’m not real disciplined to go easy at things so I thought it best to wait. I figured what’s 3 months in the grand scheme of things.

Doing the same thing this time around. I’ve already given up 8 months of what’s normal living for me. What’s a few more?

I've never heard anyone post-ablation say "I wish I would have gotten back into things faster and pushed myself back to where I was quicker." I have seen a post or 2 saying they wish they eased back at a slower pace. Your milage may vary, objects in the mirror are closer than they appear etc. etc.

It's very individualized. I've never really felt the tiredness that some people feel following ablations. I give the groin a week to heal and then I return to all normal activities, including 50+ mile bike rides in hilly terrain, which is definitely an intense workout. I would probably give weight lifting more like 10 days, especially if you lift heavy. The main thing to watch out for is the insertion sites. You don't want to tear one open. Trust me, I've done that and it's no fun. But other than that, go by how you feel. If you feel fully back to speed, by all means do whatever it was you did before the procedure. If you don't, then take it easy until you do.

I got on a treadmill and ran 3 10-minute miles 8 days after my ablation. It would've been very light work, pre-ablation, for me but it caused AF for a few hours afterwards. I really had to ease back into things.

I'd wait at least a month if I had to do it over. But the worst case as far as your heart is concerned is that you'll trigger an AF episode. The bigger deal, as Carey said, are the insertion sites and also falls or other injuries you might sustain while still on anticoagulants. You could get some really big bruises. Honestly the cycling would worry me the most just because of the blood thinners. But if you are aware of the risks and careful then by all means go with what your body tells you.

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Carey
II give the groin a week to heal and then I return to all normal activities, including 50+ mile bike rides in hilly terrain, which is definitely an intense workout.

This is what I'm talking about when it comes to myself. My third ride post ablation was 7 months later and was 100 miles. Had my 6 month post ablation 24/7 event recorder on that day. I have zero self control.

Here is a link to a blog post about the ride. [afib-rider.blogspot.com]

Here is a link to a post that clearly shows my inability to quit when I probably should. [afib-rider.blogspot.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/08/2018 06:51PM by rocketritch.

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rocketritch
Here is a link to a post that clearly shows my inability to quit when I probably should.

And you wonder why you have afib. ;-)