Drago,
I'm not a doctor but I have had a lot of experience dealing with my own sports medicine issues, including as a long distance runner (back in the day), serious weightlifting and advanced bodyweight/gymnastics style workouts, so take this for what it's worth.
We are each of us an experiment of one. You are a large 220 pound 50 year old man who sounds very physically active (walking 3-6 miles a day plus bodyweight strength training), seemingly very fit. Lifting 25 pound dumbbells for you is likely a whole different ballgame than it would be for a 120 pound woman or a 70 old 160 pound man. When I was your age, twenty years ago, I was push pressing 220 pounds overhead and my warmup weight for dumbbell presses began at 65 pounds. In those days, 25 pound dumbbells might have been something I used to show off what I could press using a couple of fingers. Even after recovering from quintuple bypass surgery ay age 67, not having lifted in three months and with my sternum still healing, I was doing 20 pound dumbbell presses with little effort. For some other people, though, lifting 20 pounds might have seemed a superhuman task.
What I'm saying to you is that you should discuss this with your doctor but he or she needs to take into account your overall physical situation. One size does not fit all. The same treatment regime cannot apply to an elite Olympic athlete and to an obese couch potato, to use an extreme example. If your doctor can't or won't consider this, find another who will.
Good luck,
Ira
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Ira Reid
Hoboken NJ
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Original Message:
Sent: 03-05-2021 08:33
From: Goran A
Subject: Male 50yo just diagnosed with Aortic Root Dilatation 42mm
Hi Drago,
They usually say about 50lb should be the limit but it is not very consistent. Cardiologist usually discourage people from lifting weighs however Cardio Surgeons are more lenient. I am not a doctor but 4.2 cm is under mild so you might have to check with your doctor. Did they check the rest of the aorta and do you have enlargement in other parts? In my case I have root and ascending aorta enlarged so it is a double bummer. Here are two videos from the Cleveland Clinic that discuss various topics about this disease and one of them has the weigh lifting question:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pzyCvrZ4rE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Rgzcq0Sq2g
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Goran A
Original Message:
Sent: 03-04-2021 12:13
From: DRAGO MILCIC
Subject: Male 50yo just diagnosed with Aortic Root Dilatation 42mm
Hi, I'm a 50 years old male from Toronto, 220 lb, just diagnosed with Aortic Root Dilatation of 42mm.
I've been moderately exercise, 5-10km of walking a day and some home exercise, pushups, crunches, squats, dumbbells for up to 25lb each.
For now I got an advice from my doctor only to avoid heavy lifting, so I'm curious what it means, could I still keep on using dumbbells? Who I should ask for a professional advice on the excercise plan for me?
I live in Toronto / Canada.
Thanks!!!
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DRAGO
Software developer
MISSISSAUGA ON
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