It sounds counterintuitive, but when you have heart failure you still need to exercise that muscle. No matter what, it is a muscle and not giving it a workout will only end up with it getting weaker.
I have always been a very active person, hiking, bike riding etc. I still like to keep active and go for walks and swims and I recently bought a new mountain bike.
I try to push myself but not over do it because I know I can’t do as much as I did before having sarcoidosis, but the most frustrating part of exercising for me is the extreme fatigue when I am done.
Previously, when I exercised, I felt invigorated, ready to face the world. Now when I exercise, I get the invigorated feeling, for about five minutes and then I crash. I want to just go take a shower and sleep. The thing is, I don’t. Maybe I should, but I always feel that if I go curl up and sleep, I am giving into this disease and my heart failure.
So I push through. It’s not easy. It is so hard trying to stay awake, with all my muscles feeling as if they don’t have the strength to even move one step. But I push and I pull my self up by the boot strings and make myself move.
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Life As An Anomaly 
Last week I had several tests done as I was experiencing chest pain and shortness of breath. They have determined that I have a heart block. Not serious enough to be life threatening but symptoms will slow me down. The doctor’s answer was exercise. He told me to start slow and not overdo but that the best thing for my heart is to exercise. So I’m beginning a moderate exercise program myself. While my issue is no where as serious as yours, I totally understand now that I also must push through the shortness of breath and exercise. I admire your persistence and determination.
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So sorry to hear about that but at least it was discovered before it can cause you serious trouble. I don’t like to compare gravity of conditions. Everyone’s experience is serious in its own way and should never be down played by comparing yourself to another. I love to quote Iyanla Vanzant and she says this about comparison
“Comparison is an act of violence against the self. Whenever you say who I am, as I am, is less than who you are, as you are, that sets it up in the ego that I need to do something about my authentic being, which god already did.” You are your own person with your own condition. Own it. But don’t dwell on it! 😉 Be well soon!
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Thanks!
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