Answers for heart patientsతెలుగులో చదవండి

Life with a pacemaker: can I exercise?

Yes. Most people with a pacemaker can exercise. For the first 4 to 6 weeks, go easy with the arm on the pacemaker side. In the long run, a pacemaker should make being active easier.

What a pacemaker does

A pacemaker is a small device under the skin of your chest, near the collarbone. It is smaller than a matchbox. It sends a small electrical signal that makes your heart beat when it is too slow or misses beats.

A pacemaker does not give your heart a shock. A device that gives shocks is called an ICD. We have a separate page on life with an ICD.

The first 6 weeks

• Keep the wound clean. Do the shoulder exercises your care team gives you.
• Do not lift your elbow above shoulder height on the pacemaker side.
• Do not carry heavy things or do hard exercise.
• The NHS says not to drive for at least the first week.

Full recovery can take a few weeks or months.

Exercise in the long run

A pacemaker should make being active much easier. Walking is a good way to start. Build up slowly, and follow your doctor’s advice on what is right for you.

It is fine to be a little out of breath. You should still be able to talk.

Everyday things

• Mobile phone: keep it 15 cm (6 inches) away from the pacemaker. Use it on the other ear. Do not keep it in a chest pocket on that side.
• Induction stove: stay at least 60 cm (2 feet) away. A microwave is safe.
• Avoid: pain-relief TENS machines and body-fat scales.
• Flying: it is safe. Show your pacemaker ID card at airport security.
• Scans: most new pacemakers are safe in an MRI scan. Always tell staff first.

Check-ups and the battery

The NHS lists check-ups at about 6 weeks, at 3 to 6 months, and then at least once a year. The battery usually lasts 6 to 7 years. It does not run out without warning. Checks show when it is time to change it.

Call your doctor if

• the wound gets more swollen, red or sore, or leaks fluid,
• you have a high temperature,
• you feel dizzy, or the problems you had before the pacemaker come back.

What happens at Cardiac Rehab

1. A doctor checks you first.
2. You get an exercise plan made for you.
3. You exercise for 90 minutes, 3 times a week, for 6 months, under physician supervision.
4. Step by step, the exercise gets harder as you get stronger.

Why it helps with this

Cardiac Rehab takes people with a pacemaker or an ICD. The team watches your heart trace while you exercise, and builds you up step by step.

Heart experts say modern pacemakers are made to let people get back to a normal, active life.

Many people with a pacemaker also have heart failure. For stable heart failure, US (AHA and ACC) and European (ESC) guidelines give exercise training their highest grade: Class I, Level A.

Cardiac Rehab, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad runs these sessions.

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Frequently asked questions

This page is general advice. Your own doctor knows your heart. If your doctor has told you something different, follow your doctor.

Written by Dr. Muralidar Babi, MBBS, MD (CMC Vellore), Cardiac Rehab Physician. TGMCI Reg. No. 59309.