The fitter I get, the worse I feel...!

[ZaphodandArthur]

I am 42 and pretty unfit and obviously that has to change. However, as I get fitter (e.g. Shred in the past, couch to 5k completed), I start suffering from palpitations more and more frequently. Not while I'm exercising, but when I'm really relaxed, like in bed or sitting quietly.

Anyone else have the same thing?? Am wondering if there is some kind of ultra gentle ramp-up to fitness programme that might help avoid them.

I hate having them, it feels really unstable. And they get really frequent - from almost never having them when unfit, to getting them every five minutes or so. GP isn't worried as they are 'ectopic' and not anything more serious. And advised a healthy diet and exercise. We then had a short and circular conversation about 'but the fitter I am...' 'Just concentrate on exercise and diet' 'But then I get lots of palpitations'

That does sound alarming but if your doc says so then no need to worry that its harmful.

Just a guess but maybe as you get fitter your cardiovascular system will adjust/ strengthen and the palpitations will stop?

im not a doctor so dont take my word for it, but sometimes you can over exercise which can put stress on the body, buy yourself a heart rate monitor. best ones (most accurate) come with a chest strap and a watch which displays, cals, time spent and your pulse rate.

when im training (im not that fit) it tells me that if my heart rate goes over 161 - im over doing it, so I slow down on the treadmill or what ever im doing.

in time I guess exercise (at the right rate) will improve your health and you will be able to run a marathon

but again I might be talking jibberish? just thought it might help

Agree Mouse, when exercising there's no need for your heart rate to spend much time over say 80% of your max heart rate.

Thanks, maybe I was overdoing it, but not realising and thinking that going for the burn was good!! Although the C25K does start off pretty minimal. DH has a heart rate monitor I could borrow. Will have to provide the motivation myself though (looks out at pissing rain and trees bent over)

No advice for you but I suffer from exactly the same thing. My resting heart rate is pretty high - around 75/80 bpm and like you the more exercise I do the more palpitations I get! I'm pretty fit, run 5k 3x weekly plus weights sessions. Had echocardiogram, ECG etc and all normal. You have my sympathies- it's really unpleasant. I too feel them all different times of day and they cause me to catch my breath sometimes

fecking, when checking my heart rate I was shocked when it came back as below average! my resting heart rate is like yours, its around 78-80bpm.

I thought I was at least average which is (for my age) 73-76bpm, so I guess im worse than I thought I was!

www.buzzle.com/articles/resting-heart-rate-chart.html

sorry link didn't work, not good with technology! copy and paste to search bar

I've very occasionally had palpitations, tbh I thought it was something peri menopause related.
My resting heart rate is around 45 bpm, I think that's partly because it's naturally quite low

mouses - thanks for the charts. Coming out at 72bpm (although that's sitting not supine as per instructions, on lunchbreak at work ), which is about average, so not madly low or anything.

Will aim to start ultra gently and see how I go. Lots of walking here I come!

Feckin - thanks, they are horrible, even when everything is checked and judged 'normal' and not dangerous. Think it's because I've been really fit in the past, cycling everywhere, playing squash etc, and never had this problem. So now it worries me more! Mind you the perimenopause suggestion also worth reading up on. God I feel old!!

yea I did mine whilst sitting watching tv. suppose to be over 3 days and in the morning as you wake.... ill do it one day.