WW Program & Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Submitted by Kayakoto on April 15, 2013 - 2:09pm
Body: 

Hello.

I'm new here so please forgive me if I've posted in the wrong section. I have Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. It is a heart condition where the muscle walls are getting larger, and am instructed not to overexert my heart or do inverted yoga positions. My darling boyfriend purchased the First Aid for Prolapse DVD for me when I first discovered my prolapse last month. I can do the beginning dance sequence without feeling my heart pump too harshly. So that seems fine. The advanced sequence does raise my heart rate a bit, so I was wondering if there are certain exercises and yoga postures I can omit in order to still succeed at this. (My bf went ahead and picked up the yoga DVDs before I could finish typing this because he wants to be helpful. ^^; Darling man that he is.) If I can't do all the dances and poses, does this mean this program is not suitable for me?

(I already saw that people with heart disease shouldn't try Fire Breathing - which disappointed me because I was looking forward to trying that one in particular.) Thank you kindly for any guidance you can offer me.

Also, while I don't want to bore you with my details, I do want to say thank you WW for being here to help others like myself. It's such a scary ordeal, but after only reading a few posts, I already feel less alone and a little less scared. I have filled my whole day with learning about my situation, as well as the options I have, and I hope to learn more. =)

Kaya

Forum:

Surviving60

April 15, 2013 - 2:31pm

Hi Kaya and welcome. You can do as much as or little as you are able. The most important thing is getting your body into the posture and incorporating that into your every waking moment. This is much more than an exercise program! It's about redeveloping that lumbar curvature that allows the organs to be properly supported. So, relax the belly, pull up your chest, and starting working towards the goal of making this your natural, second-nature posture. - Surviving

Kayakoto

April 16, 2013 - 6:33pm

Thank you for the reply and the warm welcome, Surviving. ^_^

Posture is still something I'm working on. I don't think I have it quite down yet as I have horrible posture. Sometimes I think I'm forcing myself to relax my belly, if that makes sense? I have noticed a relief in pelvic pressure though, so my attempts must be working somehow. I also find it easier to attempt the WW posture when I'm standing/walking versus sitting. I hope I get better at this part. I would love to make this posture second-nature versus consciously forcing myself into it.

I read elsewhere on this forum about laying on your belly while watching TV. I started doing that at night when reading, but notice that my lower back starts to ache a bit. I assume it's just part of my adjustment period? (At least that's what I gather from reading the forum.) I guess I have a ways to go...

Kaya

louiseds

April 17, 2013 - 9:05am

Hi Kayakoto

The improvement in your posture will go on for years, with persistent practice. I have been doing these techniques now for about nine years. About three years after I started I made myself a body clone, ie a duct tape model of my body to use as a dressmaker's model. I measured it the other day and compared it to my current shape and posture and decided that I needed to make a new one. My back is a different shape and I no longer have one shoulder higher than the other. It does get easier and easier. The benefit of the exercises is in getting the body to fully extend, to compensate for all the time we spend in flexion. Just do what you can do.

Even if you cannot firebreathe you will probably be able to do slow and gentle abdominal breathing, either on all fours or in a semi-squat with your hands on your knees and a horizontal back.

alemama

April 17, 2013 - 9:58pm

Even if you cannot firebreathe you will probably be able to do slow and gentle abdominal breathing, either on all fours or in a semi-squat with your hands on your knees and a horizontal back.

I think this will work well for you- on the inhale relax your belly towards the floor, on the exhale, bring it back up :)

Kayakoto

April 19, 2013 - 1:03pm

Thank you, louiseds and alemama for the encouragement.

Louise, will you by chance be sharing pictures of the clone here? I would really love to see the differences between the before and after. Also thank you for sharing about doing these techniques for 9 years now. I understand now that I have to be even more patient than I originally thought.

Alemama, that suggestion helped! Thank you. It felt much smoother than my normal sitting breath/posture. I don't know why that is, but I'm going to practice with that. ^_^

- Kaya

Daphne11

April 19, 2013 - 4:04pm

Louise, I wanted to take a minute to say thanks for re-stating this technique. I needed to hear this. Daphne11

louiseds

April 22, 2013 - 1:46am

I'll see if I can photograph me and my clone together in the one image, and put it on the Whole Woman FB page. It will be interesting to see if the difference is visible. All I know is that I can no longer trust my body clone to give my tops a perfect fitting. Of course, at my 4 years postmenopause stage I am probably getting more shoulder fat and waist fat, but less hip fat, so there is that effect as well.

Don't worry. I won't post nude photographs! ;-)

Louise

fab

April 22, 2013 - 2:26am

Thank god for that!

wholewomanUK

April 28, 2013 - 6:43am

You may find the WW yoga approach may suit you better. You can follow the dvd gently and work within your comfort zone. After you've got used to the practice you can slow the pace down if you want. I generally breathe as slowly and comfortably and do the movements as slowly as my breath. You may find the Wheel of Yoga 1 a good one to start with. Also if you're lucky enough to be able to see a trained WW practitioner, I think that would be helpful for you.
As you get more used to the WW approach, posture and exercises you can gain confidence and try out what works for you. The posture is key for everyone, but we're all different too and as we learn to listen to the feedback our bodies give us, you may well find you gradually find things that work particularly well for you.
For example, I find if I do a standing forward bend after each time I've gone to the loo, that just helps to keep my pelvic organs in good position throughout the day, with v. little extra time or effort.
Good luck and happy learning!
xwholewomanuk