No pain, no gain?

I met Lizzie while in Qatar. Lizzie said she had tried a few classes here but never felt comfortable doing them. When I asked her why, she told me she also had heart issues and was nervous to participate. I spoke with Lizzie about her experience and how this affects her ability to exercise and maintain a normal routine.

“I got diagnosed with atrial fibrillation (AF) when I was 30,” recalls Tebbs.

Lizzie Tebbs

“At the time, I had never even heard of the condition but it was explained to me as a form of cardiac arrhythmia, more common in elderly people (wonderful!). During an episode of AF, the heart beats in a very rapid and irregular way – mine would go up to over 200 beats a minute. Due to the speed at which your heart is beating, it also makes you feel very faint and short of breath. This would all happen from a resting rate – I could just have been sitting on the sofa at home and suddenly it would spark off and be all over the place. I had noticed it once or twice on occasions where I was slightly stressed, but it had only ever lasted for a few hours and then disappeared, so I had just thought it was some form of panic attack. However, after one particularly bad episode that lasted over 24 hours and ended in a trip to A&E, it was diagnosed as AF and I was referred to a cardiologist for treatment.

“The episodes were getting worse, with more frequent trips to hospital, so I was put on daily medication to try and control the rhythm and regulate the speed of my heart. When it was diagnosed I had been quite active, running regularly and playing hockey three times a week for a club side in the UK. Although exercise had never brought on an episode, I became much more aware of my heart rate and became hesitant to now raise my heart rate through exercise in case it wouldn’t come back down to ‘normal’. It was really debilitating and I felt very low as I had gone from enjoying my time playing sport to being terrified to play each week. I eventually stopped exercise altogether when I became pregnant later that year because I was so worried by it. I’ve had three surgical procedures to try and fix the problem over the years but, unfortunately, at the moment it’s still a condition I suffer from; however, I manage it by taking medication which mostly keeps the symptoms at bay.

“I know that doing sport is OK – my cardiologist tells me that I should absolutely keep active to keep my heart healthy. He fitted me up to a heart monitor while on a running machine to prove that my heart rate can cope, but it has taken a long time to get my confidence back to doing regular exercise. I now go running three times a week, as well as taking fitness classes with Karen. It’s been a real help to find someone who actively understands what it’s like to suffer from a condition like mine and she’s given me some great advice, tailoring workouts and suggesting classes specifically for me. I feel so much better to be back doing regular exercise!”

So, whether you are a trained athlete, an exercise enthusiast or a fitness trainer, the evidence suggests that particular care needs to be taken when training and, although it is highly beneficial to gain a solid and regular exercise programme, it is also important to listen to your body.

As Professor Wilson advises, “The advice should be very clear: do not exercise while suffering from a viral or bacterial infection and ensure that all symptoms have gone before re-engaging in low- to moderate-intensity physical activity.”