I'm now 56 years old. I used to be a fitness freak up till about 8 years ago. My favorite stuff to do was powerlifting, body building and Martial Arts. The change in lifestyle can't really be explained. I became lazy and obese. Then last year the magical moment came when I got my pacemaker and was diagnosed with diabetes. I'm trying to change things for the better with my lifestyle. However, the pacemaker thing has me paranoid about what I can do. I have a complete home gym with all kinds of equipment just gathering dust. I want to just get back to doing what I used to do minus live sparing. Just frustrated and confused about what would really risk the lead breakage. I even had to find another career that went from a LE job to a desk job (even more sedentary) because I couldn't risk an impact on the chest or qualify in hand to hand training anymore. I feel like hammered Shit. I have to get moving again.
@@boog3690 I do understand the concern. I also understand the lack of information. There has been very little case, study research on lead breakage. Understanding the body the way that I do, I suspect that some are more prone to breakage based on the shape of the clavicle. I found a bit of information on that subject. Of course, we have no way of knowing whether or not we have a sharper edge style clavicle that could lead to that. That is my theory. In the end the take away should be anything that either stretches or activates the pec muscle area would cause more risk for lead breakage.
Thank you for your videos! (Super helpful) I’ve had my pacemaker for about a year now. With the COVID situation, I have had to curtail the weights and overall exercise plan. Although I have been doing some home base rowing, without issue. After I had my implant, I asked the doctors, nurses what I could do? I was told that once the leads “set” ie: your body sees a foreign object and as a safety response coats the leads resulting in them being a fixed to my heart and I assume my artery. I can do what ever I want. “Forget I have it” Although right after the surgery I was paranoid about the leads breaking and basically kept my left arm pined to my side for a few months. Btw I did hear that one of the nurses indicate that the only time she had heard of a broken lead from a patient was when they were weight training, and they were resting, or bouncing the barbell off on that part or their chest…whoops Anyway, a little common sense and helpful videos like yours, hopefully will help! ( I definitely do not limit myself)
You're welcome! My doc said the only lead breakage he heard of was a guy doing a lot of pull-ups. Which personally I do (sometimes 100 in one session), but not any issue for most people. There are so many risks in life that we typically don't even consider. YOLO!
@@ginahoegh I’m so glad I found you! Would love to chat sometime. I admin a cardiac sarcoidosis group and mostly everyone there has an ICD or pacemaker. I have a CRTD with 3 leads. I used to be paced 💯 % but now I’m on standby mode as my conduction came back. I’ve been shocked five times but not in a while. Very stable. On my 5th week back and already seeing gains. The lead breakage thing is a concern but I can’t decide if it’s better to just atrophy over the next decade.
Thank you yes it does help. My doc told me not to do flies with weights and let the weight pull way back, but that’s all he told me. Do you know if a lead has ever ripped out and what happens if it disconnects or breaks is it just mean that you have to get a new lead or they put one side-by-side do you know?
@@dorisargent4203 there is very little information out there regarding this because it is uncommon with exercise. It has happened. The pacemaker won’t pace and the lead does have to be replaced. I gather they leave the old leafs most of the time but not certain.
Thank you Gina, I'm not 2 weeks yet since dual pacemaker fitted and you're giving me hope. I'm a yogi and Argentine tango dancer hopeful to get back to action soon.
You should be released to lift weight to tolerance after four weeks. You should be good to go unless there are some specific restrictions that your doctor gave you.
Thank you for this video. I am struggling with a recent find with my pacemaker. It was installed July 2020 - 1 yr and 7 months ago. I have now had 3 x-rays since. The first two found no issues with the placements of leads or movement of the pace maker unit. The latest was 3 days ago. My pacemaker unit has rotated 180 degrees and the bottom lead has moved. It is still making good contact and able to work effectively. My cardiologist has said movement now is very unusual. I am a right leg above knee amputees' ( had bone cancer when I was 20) I use forearm crutches most of the time, to do house work, shop and cook I use a wheel chair. I garden, swim, do yoga, water aerobics, kayak, and handcycle to keep fit. I thought when the pace maker was installed the 6 wk wait to start enjoying the new energy the pace maker gave me was an eternity. The cardiologist has asked me to stop swimming for 3 months as he feels this will give the new area the unit has been pulled to by my muscles a chance to form scar tissue and hold it in place. With your video here I am wondering how much of my everyday movement is also going to prevent the scar tissue from forming at this new location. Other then the information you have given in the video do you have any thoughts that can be of further assistance to me.
I’m not sure your body will produce any additional scar tissue to help stabilize the unit. The scar tissue process is around 4 weeks after initial trauma. Unless the unit made a drastic position change in the past few weeks, the body will not be stimulated to produce additional scar tissue. I’m not suggesting to go against your drs orders but I don’t feel limiting your movement is going to change anything. I wish I had more positive input for you. But I’ve worked with thousands of post-op patients and after that 4 week window, nothing really changes. Please let me know if you have any additional questions.
@@ginahoegh Thank you for your input. I have written to the dr to ask if re-positioning the unit would be a better course of action, and with your answer I feel even more so that might be our best course of action.
Is there a way to know if you have broken a lead?I got my surgery 4 days ago and it was very difficult because I have very small veins, so I don't want to live through that again, so I am terrified of a lead dislodging.
Your device would not be able to send impulses correctly. Think of it as any broken wire with an electrical current. It would start to “short out”. So basically you would know when things weren’t working right.
I’m in remission from cardiac sarcoidosis and back in gym after a decade away. I’m 39. I’m nervous about it but I’m avoiding pull ups and things like that. Some things like back workouts scare me but I’ve had my device for 3 years so just crossing my fingers. Trying to change my body so I figure use it or lose it. I lost 70 lbs after getting off prednisone. I weighed 135 starting. Small but lots of body fat and no muscle so I’m changing the story. The leads breakage scares me but I’m going for it lol
Mam I'm also a pacemaker patient I undergone surgery at 14 now am 20 mam I have some doubt regarding phisical fitness can I contact you personally on social media like Instagram...
@@ginahoegh Because even the simplest of these arm exercises could damage the leads, if it's like you say, being it can get pinched with the collarbone.
@@gailnightowl0423 yes, but you should watch my other video showing what I do. I’m a CrossFit athlete. I don’t let the slim chance of it happening hold me back. I choose to not live in fear! My doctor gave me the green light to do so. I have one of the best surgeons in the country and he said it’s so rare. He wanted me to live my life like I never had a pacemaker, so I do!
@@ginahoegh I wish I could have this mindset but I'm just terrified now. I feel so broken and my arms have turned to flab. I can feel mine with the slightest movements and can also see it. It's not under the muscle and it hurts with any movements. I've had it almost a year now.
hello exercise like this There is a chance that the lead wires are loose. loosen from attachment Or the pacemaker has a problem? i wear the same i like to play football can i play like this thank you
The risk with exercise is that the lead wires can break. This usually happens around the clavicle. Exercise should not affect the function of the pacemaker or cause dislodgment. Keep in mind that there’s always a slight risk with exercise, but the overall risk of lead breakage is less than 4% including things such as blunt force trauma to the leads. That’s why I say the benefits of enjoying my life far outweighs the risk.
I went back to CrossFit after a week. I was limited of course but I was creative with finding a lot of activities that I could do. Assault bike without arms, banded leg exercises, single arm kettle bell exercises to name a few. Try to find some ways to get out do something fun!
I sympathize with you, I’m one year in after my pacemaker was put in, I’m still out of breath and having problems but others than before. 8 months ago I started getting electric shocks in my left shoulder, no one knew why, last month I found out a lead is broken, (I have 3) I find out in July this year 2024 if I need the whole OP again, I was awake for the OP too where as I don’t believe I should have been, the cut was painful as was the “pocket” and I still smell it, it’s been a mental fight the whole time with one thing or another. I hope you are on to the way of recovery and wish you the very best of luck it’s nice to know that there’s others out there and I not the only one Good luck 🍀👍🏻
Hey, I have had 2 open hear surgeries and I'm now 100% pace dependent. before all of that I was pretty healthy and fit. over the past 6 years I have let myself go and here recently decided to go to the gym. I did standard weight lifting exercises, nothing really heavy. About 2 weeks ago I had a lead break, and had to be rushed to the hospital. My doctor blames the working out, and suggests that I just "walk for a hours every day and maybe curl". What can I do, I really want to get back into shape but walking and curling is not going to do it...?
I’m sorry to hear that happened. I have to suggest you follow your doctor’s orders, but if you choose to weight train, follow my suggestions in the video. There is some risk with just about every upper body exercise. Lower body on the other hand is not a concern. Not sure if that helps. 😕
