By no means is this post construed to imply that you DO this or not as it related to YOUR physical health. It is a narrative on MY experience and is somewhat opinionated.
At the age of 34 I had Mitral Valve Prolapse and smoked ever so little but over a long time. I never got "hooked." Sometimes I would go a year without a cigarette. But at that age I stopped and have not had a cig. after that. I started running at age 33. (1979) I figured it would either kill me or cure me. Over the next 24 years I averaged 1150 miles/year. ( 27,600 miles). I would go YEARS without missing a day. I stopped then (age 58 ish) and continued to "walk" on a treadmill set at 15% grade and at a speed less than 2 mph.
Fast Forward: Recently I was diagnosed with A-Fib and it turns out I have had it for "at least" 5 years. This came about when I was hospitalized and almost died from a tick Bite. The Tick did not cause these problems but all the testing I had done "found" the problem. THANK YOU TICK!!!
Recently then I had an Echo Cardiogram and discovered I have "severe" tricuspid valve leakage (35% to 40%). I know I did not have this prior to say 1980. (I had an Echo Cardiogram about that time).
So now comes my "too late benightment": I firmly believe that the running is the reason that I am in better shape than 98 percent of 77 year old people. However, I am just as confident that my Valve Leakage was "caused" by this running. I firmly believe that WALKING on a treadmill would have prevented my present condition.
What I do these days is 5 times a week go on the treadmill and walk at 1.6 miles per hour for 20 minutes @15% grade. That gets me a bit over 400 vertical feet!! I am not the slightest out of breath and my pulse is 120 bpm. My BP is say112/ 65 after exercise (I do take meds). By all accounts I am in great physical shape....tricuspid valve notwithstanding.
My Message [not advice]: Look at my history and whether you are young or old possibly learn from it. I would say (obviously) see your doc before starting an exercise program. If "I" were 77 and out of shape "I" would start at 1.4 mph and put the elevation at 5% and do 20 minutes. I would then work "up" from there.
I am not really interested in arguing. But I am happy to hear what others think. And I am hoping I did a little good for even 1 person. And BTW I will be getting a second opinion at Johns Hopkins and if necessary, THEY will fix the valve.
Al
At the age of 34 I had Mitral Valve Prolapse and smoked ever so little but over a long time. I never got "hooked." Sometimes I would go a year without a cigarette. But at that age I stopped and have not had a cig. after that. I started running at age 33. (1979) I figured it would either kill me or cure me. Over the next 24 years I averaged 1150 miles/year. ( 27,600 miles). I would go YEARS without missing a day. I stopped then (age 58 ish) and continued to "walk" on a treadmill set at 15% grade and at a speed less than 2 mph.
Fast Forward: Recently I was diagnosed with A-Fib and it turns out I have had it for "at least" 5 years. This came about when I was hospitalized and almost died from a tick Bite. The Tick did not cause these problems but all the testing I had done "found" the problem. THANK YOU TICK!!!
Recently then I had an Echo Cardiogram and discovered I have "severe" tricuspid valve leakage (35% to 40%). I know I did not have this prior to say 1980. (I had an Echo Cardiogram about that time).
So now comes my "too late benightment": I firmly believe that the running is the reason that I am in better shape than 98 percent of 77 year old people. However, I am just as confident that my Valve Leakage was "caused" by this running. I firmly believe that WALKING on a treadmill would have prevented my present condition.
What I do these days is 5 times a week go on the treadmill and walk at 1.6 miles per hour for 20 minutes @15% grade. That gets me a bit over 400 vertical feet!! I am not the slightest out of breath and my pulse is 120 bpm. My BP is say112/ 65 after exercise (I do take meds). By all accounts I am in great physical shape....tricuspid valve notwithstanding.
My Message [not advice]: Look at my history and whether you are young or old possibly learn from it. I would say (obviously) see your doc before starting an exercise program. If "I" were 77 and out of shape "I" would start at 1.4 mph and put the elevation at 5% and do 20 minutes. I would then work "up" from there.
I am not really interested in arguing. But I am happy to hear what others think. And I am hoping I did a little good for even 1 person. And BTW I will be getting a second opinion at Johns Hopkins and if necessary, THEY will fix the valve.
Al