Within the last five years, I have been diagnosed with various medical conditions (for the curious, an ascending thoracic aortic aneurysm accompanied by a bicuspid valve...aren't I the lucky one). It is unknown how long I have been living with these conditions, but from what I have been told; I am lucky to be alive considering that lifestyle previous to the diagnosis was very active (I was in the US Army for 15 years performing numerous arduous duties). Apparently the condition is serious enough that the Army decided it be best I find some other occupation, so they medically retired me and sent me on way. In addition, I have been advised by numerous doctors over the years to restructure exercise regimen to be composed primarily of resistance band and dumb bell training; in addition to cardio (NOT running). In short, condition restricts me from safely lifting heavy weights; therefore I am looking for guidance from this forum to develop a solid resistance band, dumb bell, and cardio routine. I am looking to create a 5 or 6 day-a-week program that has a good dispersion of exercises that accomplishes the goal of toning and firming and overall good health. Any feedback will be greatly appreciated!
If you are so kind as to respond, please feel free to post here to the forum as well as to me personally at [email protected].
Once again, thanks for your positive feedback!
Ryan P Waterbury
Medical condition forcing me to restructure routine-HELP!
Moderators: Boss Man, cassiegose
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waterburyr
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So you have some kind of Aortic Bulge, and presumably a problem with the Bicuspid, (Mitral Valve).
Does the valve incorrectly close, (Incompetence), or incorrectly open, (Stenosis), or does the Valve Prolapse, causing blood to "regurgitate", back into the Left Atrium, or is part of the problem due to something like a stiffening of the left Ventricle, as I'm sure you're aware, the Bicuspid lets blood into the L V, then it shoots out into the Ascending portion of the Aorta.
Another thing to understand might be how much blood gets in and out of the L V, as there is something called Diastolic Dysfunction, relating to the "Ventricular Stiffening" I mentioned earlier, and something called the Ejection Fraction, (the amount of blood expelled), if it's less than 50%, could indicate possible D D, or perhaps prolasping on the MV, or maybe some kind of backlog of blood, again relating to the D D.
I assume you've not been diagnosed with anything like Congestive Heart Failure, just the Valve problem and the Aortic Bulge.
The problem I'm getting here is, it's difficult to be accurate about what to say, because, you have a very difficult situation, and to suggest something, that might not be 100% the right thing, is a tricky thing, as it's not like suggesting a few things, someone can still do with a bit of Tennis Elbow, or something like that.
Does the valve incorrectly close, (Incompetence), or incorrectly open, (Stenosis), or does the Valve Prolapse, causing blood to "regurgitate", back into the Left Atrium, or is part of the problem due to something like a stiffening of the left Ventricle, as I'm sure you're aware, the Bicuspid lets blood into the L V, then it shoots out into the Ascending portion of the Aorta.
Another thing to understand might be how much blood gets in and out of the L V, as there is something called Diastolic Dysfunction, relating to the "Ventricular Stiffening" I mentioned earlier, and something called the Ejection Fraction, (the amount of blood expelled), if it's less than 50%, could indicate possible D D, or perhaps prolasping on the MV, or maybe some kind of backlog of blood, again relating to the D D.
I assume you've not been diagnosed with anything like Congestive Heart Failure, just the Valve problem and the Aortic Bulge.
The problem I'm getting here is, it's difficult to be accurate about what to say, because, you have a very difficult situation, and to suggest something, that might not be 100% the right thing, is a tricky thing, as it's not like suggesting a few things, someone can still do with a bit of Tennis Elbow, or something like that.
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waterburyr
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Boss Man...Thanks for such a rapid response!
Yes, in a nutshell, it is a "bulge" in aorta; more specifically, it's a dilation of the aortic arch at the root near the connection to the heart. doctors have told me that a typical aorta has a diameter of approximately 3cm; mine is currently measured at 4.8cm and has been stable at this size for that past several years. Of course, I take preventative medications for high blood pressure, high triglycerides, and high cholesterol. It is important to note that I do NOT suffer from any of these conditions; the meds are purely preventative because those particular conditions can worsen the overall medical condition.
Anyhow, you sound quite "schooled" on the subject of valve conditions; much more than me. However, I can tell you that I do NOT currently suffer from any stenosis, ejection fraction, or hardening. In a nutshell, I have been told that everything is functioning properly; it's just that aortic root is larger than normal. As a result, the walls of the aorta in that particular region are thinner, meaning that too much pressure going through that area may cause the wall to rip resulting in aortic dissection, in which case I would bleed out; for lack of better words.
Now, with that said, I have been told that sitting around on rear end is not a good idea either. A sedentary lifestyle is not good for anyone, especially those with existing medical conditions. I have been highly encouraged to still exercise and remain active, just not to the point where heart takes extreme strain, as in bench pressing. I can understand that since bench pressing requires a concentrated effort on pushing heavy weight, which in turn results in immediate pressure to the chest region. With that said; weight lifting has been put on "banned" list,â€
Yes, in a nutshell, it is a "bulge" in aorta; more specifically, it's a dilation of the aortic arch at the root near the connection to the heart. doctors have told me that a typical aorta has a diameter of approximately 3cm; mine is currently measured at 4.8cm and has been stable at this size for that past several years. Of course, I take preventative medications for high blood pressure, high triglycerides, and high cholesterol. It is important to note that I do NOT suffer from any of these conditions; the meds are purely preventative because those particular conditions can worsen the overall medical condition.
Anyhow, you sound quite "schooled" on the subject of valve conditions; much more than me. However, I can tell you that I do NOT currently suffer from any stenosis, ejection fraction, or hardening. In a nutshell, I have been told that everything is functioning properly; it's just that aortic root is larger than normal. As a result, the walls of the aorta in that particular region are thinner, meaning that too much pressure going through that area may cause the wall to rip resulting in aortic dissection, in which case I would bleed out; for lack of better words.
Now, with that said, I have been told that sitting around on rear end is not a good idea either. A sedentary lifestyle is not good for anyone, especially those with existing medical conditions. I have been highly encouraged to still exercise and remain active, just not to the point where heart takes extreme strain, as in bench pressing. I can understand that since bench pressing requires a concentrated effort on pushing heavy weight, which in turn results in immediate pressure to the chest region. With that said; weight lifting has been put on "banned" list,â€
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waterburyr
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Believe me, I do understand the confusion. I had to do a lot of research about this topic myself, and I'm the one that actually is affected by the condition. From what doctors have told me, here is a simple analogy: Imagine a balloon being filled up with air. The larger it gets as it is being filled up, the closer it gets to popping. Why? Because the walls of the balloon are getting thinner due to the additional pressure being added to the walls of the balloon from the additional air being introduced inside the balloon. Another way to look at it (and applies even better), is if you think of a garden hose. Water rushes through it at different speeds depending on how we adjust the tap; we can make water trickle out or flow out very quickly. Depending on how high we have the water determines the pressure going through the hose. The thinning walls analogy doesn't really work here since a garden hose is thick rubber, but imagine it being a thinner rubber. A faster flow of water would definitely affect the walls of the hose a lot more. In a nutshell, you are probably aware that the aorta is the "master hose" that pumps blood throughout the body. It connects at the top of the heart and wraps around descending to the abdominal area; thus the logical naming conventions of abdominal and thoracic aorta. So, the bottom line is that I am definitely allowed to exercise; it has been strongly advised by physicians. It's just that certain exercises, such as the bench press or overhead weight exercises, result in the blood flow in the aorta requiring additional pressure; thus reason for staying away from those type workouts. As a result, I am working on developing a resistant band, dumb bell, and cardio workout that achieves basically the same results as a routine free-weight program; just without the big muscular results. In short, it’s more of a toning program that I'm looking to develop.
Thanks for inquiring!
Ryan
Thanks for inquiring!
Ryan
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waterburyr
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Once again, I appreciate the insight on this matter. Yep, your assessment about me performing exercises requiring Valsalva maneuver is on spot. That is why I used bench pressing as an example; it requires a deep breath prior to the push to get the weight back up, which in turn, puts extreme pressure on the aorta and heart overall. Those type exercises are a no-no for me. I've been working on something and I think I'm on the right track. Take a look at this sample workout:
Obviously, begin with some stretching. Then move into the following program:
Chest fly
Crunches
Triceps extension
Flutter kicks
Upright row
Ball circles
Overhead extension
Hip extension
Bicep curl
Oblique crossover crunches
Lunge
Back extension
Press row
Plank
And of course, wrap it all up with a good stretch out.
Then, go on a good bike ride or brisk walk for cardio.
Each regular exercise is followed by an abdominal exercise for a good overall mix (example: Chest fly followed by crunches followed by triceps extension followed by flutter kicks, etc.). Important to remember is this: I will NOT be using heavy weights with this program, thus NOT encountering the Valsalva maneuver effect. I will be using different level resistance bands and dumb bells. This will prevent me from having to exert too much pressure during any given exercise, which is exactly what the doctors suggests...continue to exercise but not to the point of over exertion. I have several other similar workout session ideas already created in Excel if you'd like to see and evaluate them (just let me know). I plan on running through this particular sample program in the next day or two to see approximately how long it will take me, to include the cardio portion. In looking at it, I plan on doing 3 sets of 12, 10, 8 with mid-level resistance bands and 10-15lb dumb bells to begin with and progress or modify from there. I'm thinking that the exercise portion will take about an hour, followed by about 20-30 minutes of solid cardio.
Any feedback on how this looks? Or other suggestions?
Thanks again!
Ryan
Obviously, begin with some stretching. Then move into the following program:
Chest fly
Crunches
Triceps extension
Flutter kicks
Upright row
Ball circles
Overhead extension
Hip extension
Bicep curl
Oblique crossover crunches
Lunge
Back extension
Press row
Plank
And of course, wrap it all up with a good stretch out.
Then, go on a good bike ride or brisk walk for cardio.
Each regular exercise is followed by an abdominal exercise for a good overall mix (example: Chest fly followed by crunches followed by triceps extension followed by flutter kicks, etc.). Important to remember is this: I will NOT be using heavy weights with this program, thus NOT encountering the Valsalva maneuver effect. I will be using different level resistance bands and dumb bells. This will prevent me from having to exert too much pressure during any given exercise, which is exactly what the doctors suggests...continue to exercise but not to the point of over exertion. I have several other similar workout session ideas already created in Excel if you'd like to see and evaluate them (just let me know). I plan on running through this particular sample program in the next day or two to see approximately how long it will take me, to include the cardio portion. In looking at it, I plan on doing 3 sets of 12, 10, 8 with mid-level resistance bands and 10-15lb dumb bells to begin with and progress or modify from there. I'm thinking that the exercise portion will take about an hour, followed by about 20-30 minutes of solid cardio.
Any feedback on how this looks? Or other suggestions?
Thanks again!
Ryan