Q The palpitations have made me afraid to exercise. Is it better to keep resting? (44, office worker)
A If tests are normal, avoiding exercise actually works against you — regular aerobic activity lowers resting heart rate. However, if you have ever had palpitations, dizziness or chest pain during exercise, you must be tested first.
Detailed Answer
Many people stop exercising entirely after an episode. But as activity falls, fitness declines, the heart rate rises with even light movement, and that feeds the anxiety of "here it comes again." Avoidance itself amplifies the symptom.
First check the precondition. If you have had palpitations, dizziness, fainting or chest pain during exercise, get cardiac testing before resuming. There is no exception to this.
If tests are clear, start with walking at a conversational intensity: 20 to 30 minutes a day, four or five days a week is a reasonable starting point. Increase duration or pace slightly every two or three weeks. Avoid sudden high-intensity intervals and heavy lifting early on.
A rising pulse during exercise is a normal response. If it comes down within a few minutes of stopping, that is usually fine. If it stays fast or irregular even at rest, that needs checking.
Korean Medicine Clinic Perspective
We distinguish the overworked from the depleted. Pushing through exercise from an already exhausted state makes palpitations worse. Korean medicine follows the order of replenish first, move later. For patients whose stamina is at rock bottom, we raise their energy with constitution-matched herbal medicine before increasing exercise.
Related FAQs
-
Q
Every so often my pulse feels like it trips or skips a beat. Is this an arrhythmia? (47, teacher)
#Possibility / Realistic Goals
-
Q
My ECG and blood tests are all normal, but I still get palpitations. It feels like nobody believes me. (36, office worker)
#Possibility / Realistic Goals
-
Q
Is a Korean medicine clinic an appropriate place for palpitations? If it is a heart problem, surely herbal treatment cannot help? (41, homemaker)
#Possibility / Realistic Goals
-
Q
Besides palpitations I am losing weight and my hands tremble. Should I check my thyroid or for anaemia? (34, office worker)
#Comorbidities
-
Q
What should I do the moment palpitations start? Is there anything that helps right then? (31, graduate student)
#Lifestyle Management