How these 3 heart patients between 30s and 60s could run the Mumbai marathon

“A cardio rehabilitation programme is about restoring confidence. Since I had an episode relatively young, I became more conscious of my health and wanted to redo my regimes. A rehab is needed so that you can understand the rhythm that suits your condition under proper medical supervision. One who intends to run should have completely recovered from the scarring effect of the cardiac event. The doctors put you through a complete cardiac check — chest X ray, electrocardiogram, echocardiogram, stress test. Besides, they checked my threshold levels by going over how fast my heart rate would go up, oxygen saturation, blood pressure and any ischemic changes. It was only after I had cleared the range limit that I was put on a gradual programme of walking and then running,” says Pratik, who has been attending the cardio rehabilitation clinic at Mumbai’s Sir H N Reliance Foundation Hospital.

“Doctors first guided me through walking and normal strength training in a graded manner. Then gradually they let me run on the treadmill under medical supervision. It would be an alternate pattern of walking, resting, running, pausing in keeping with my tolerance levels. That’s how I went up from 3 to 4 km of walking and then running that much on the treadmill. I now keep to a strict exercise regime, diet, eat early, sleep well and take my regular medicines at the exact same time,” says Pratik.

In fact, many survivors of heart attack and patients with heart ailments from the hospital ran in the Mumbai marathon. “If you have had a chronic long-term disease, it has an impact on physical and mental health. This can differ from person to situation. Self-doubt; the questioning of why me; and insecurities about doing regular activities are at the forefront. Everyone has a different journey and we want to get them on the spectrum where they feel better than before. The training for a marathon becomes a transformation point because ironically they get fit because of the disease,” says Dr Ashish Contractor, who is the director of sports medicine and rehabilitation at HN Reliance Foundation Hospital.

We caught up with 60-year-old Nikhil Kamath whose world came crasing down in November 2019 when he went into a heart attack followed by a sudden cardiac arrest. He had to be revived by electric shocks. The first stent was put in as an emergency procedure and a month later, three more were placed in his arteries. Post-episode, his heart was just functional by 25 per cent. “I was doubtful if I could walk normal again, let alone run. Though I have been prepping to participate in the marathon for the last six months, I never dropped by cardio clinic routine since 2019. I began with intermittent running on the treadmill for one minute. I would follow it up with five minutes of walking. Then I went up to four minutes of running and three minutes of walking; this is how I built up my strength and resilience on the treadmill,” he tells us.

Nikhil’s heart functioning has improved to 45 per cent with this guided and personalised fitness regime. “I watch my food, am not supposed to drink more than 1.5 litres of water, watch my calories, take my meds on time, and for the first time in my life, feel like I did not have a heart attack. I feel very normal and since my work life involves travelling, I am out three to four days of the week. But I never swerve from my discipline no matter where I am,” he says.

Alpesh Shah, 46, had a genetic condition where his blood tends to clot faster than normal. He underwent a Catheter Ablation of Ventricular Tachycardia (CAVT) procedure, which is conducted on patients with weakened hearts (cardiomyopathy) and congestive heart failure (CHF).

“I have been in cardio rehabilitation for five years and have been taking it real slow. I began walking, and then started running. It began with 1 km. Step by step, I could run up to 5 km. For the last three years, I have been able to run 20 minutes at a stretch. I began running the marathon in 2019. Dr Contractor told me that I could do it if I increased my capacity according to my limits and remained tied to my discipline lifelong. I am more active than friends my age who haven’t had a heart condition,” says Alpesh.