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Hiking, Backpacking, Archery

PrinceRobert
0 Recommendations

So, does anyone out there know about how long it would be before I can pull a 50 lb bow ? And what about a full backpack for camping. Most of the weight is distributed to the hips, but i did say "most", and there's the question of getting the pack up onto the shoulders. I'm going into week 14. I've been doing plenty of conditioning hikes with a day pack, intentionally loaded with about 20 pounds of "stuff".
I'm really interested in the archery question. Seems like that may be a particular stress. I feel so good, so recovered, that it's easy for me to make a mistake and I've been warned by two ICU Cardiac nurses in my life that permanent damage can still be done to the sternum/ribcage if not given enough heal time.

Explore topics in this discussion:

Exercise Heart attack Stress

5 replies

blkrino

PrinceRobert I will give you my opinion since noone knows for sure.
Upper body exersise such as pulling a bow is definitely out and when you start back in about a year you do it in stages. Carrying a backpack is a little easier, 4-5 months and then in stages. Your martial arts could be changed to doing your katas without any power such a Tai CHi. Hicking such as walking but not running can be done almost immediately and increased as you get better. You have to give your sternum, ribs and spine time to heal.

homh

My Cardiac Nurse Practioner told me that I can gain 5 additional pounds of lifting ability each month. The maximum I would ever be able to lift would be 50-75 pounds.

celeritas

PrinceRobert, by month 12-14 I too seemed to have recovered enough to add swimming to my exercise regiment ... lots of pulling just like archery. BIG MISTAKE! (Even my cardio said I was doing so well I could add swimming -- but that's another story).

Here's the answer: If you have to ask, your not ready yet. Get confirmation and be 100% certain you can predict the outcome.

I'm 6+ mo's post CABG4x and have just recently added swimming again, but I'm using a boogie-board -- no arms whatsoever, not until I'm absolutely sure.

Ok, now go out there and break a leg, will ya!

PrinceRobert

Thanks for your replies, my Friends ! ! !
Those of us who are lucky enough to feel really good apparently have to be really careful to not over-extend. I guess I'm a little impatient, used to being the stud at the front of the pack, carry someone else's pack when they're too tired and all that. I just bought a nice new bow before the poorly scheduled heart attack that led to the triple BP... what poor planning ? ! I've never yet let loose an arrow with it and it now taunts me from my closet. Oh well, that's why God made guns. To me, though, the arrow in flight is sheer poetry, bow, arrow, archer and target all one. Well, what ever, I'm putting off my first sky diving also and have rescheduled my climb of Mt. Everest and othe Himalayan peaks til later in this life, or perhaps in the next.

celeritas

Hey PrinceRobert. I just noticed I said "month 12-14" ... well, duh, I'm in month 6. Meant month 2-4. Makes no big difference.

I'm right there on the aggressive recovery thing, and yes we have to be very careful now. I remember my archery days too ... "Sheer poetry," aptly said.

I've learned the hard way to give myself more time and lots of leeway, but there's no way I'm giving anything up, except taking life for granted.

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