Sabrina Cuddy • January 14, 2022
Fitness in HCM

Did you resolve to get more active this year?

There is a lot of confusion about exercise for HCM patients. Some doctors advise “don’t do anything physical,” while others say, “do whatever you want.” But we can likely agree on one thing – they are both wrong, and the best advice is somewhere in the middle.

Exercise is important!

Specialists agree that exercise is healthy for people with HCM. Depending on symptoms, most people with HCM can safely do light exercise like walking. But the HCM experts usually advise people with symptomatic HCM not to do heavy exercise. For example, it’s best not to do intense activity or contact sports like football. But those with HCM who have no symptoms may be able to exercise without restrictions.

How do you decide what to do?

While exercising (and afterward), listen to your body and slow down or stop if you find your symptoms are increasing. And make sure you stay well hydrated.

You should also work with your HCM specialist to find the best level of activity for you. 

A guide to exercise for HCM patients

One useful approach to fitness was created by an HCM specialist and team at the well-regarded Peter Munk Cardiac Centre in Toronto. This program has three fitness levels. Their website shows you how to maintain heart health through videos, medical information, and a proven exercise program.  http://hcmfitness.ca/

HCMA Blog

By Lisa Salberg July 3, 2025
Summer, greetings to all our big-hearted friends As July approaches, our focus is already on the fall and preparing for some major events, including our annual meeting coming up in October. July will also find us on the west coast in Seattle conducting a regional patient education meeting as part of our big-hearted warrior tour. We have been following the generic drug quality issue in the United States very closely and encourage you to watch the series starting with our Hill briefing in April and following with the additional webinars with our partners at Medshadow and the People's Pharmacy, and of course the ProPublica series of articles. See them all here . We are happy to have a new team member on board - we welcome Pam as our coordinator of both our All Hearts Collaborative and Hearts and Minds project. Over the next few months, you're going to be learning more about these two amazing initiatives and how we are working to provide better services for big hearts regardless of where you live, so we are meeting all of our big-hearted friends where they are. Please stay tuned for updates from these projects coming soon. We are also creating new volunteer opportunities and engagements that we hope will make it easier for you to participate in spreading the message of the importance of diagnosis, the importance of community readiness related to CPR and AED use and, of course, helping patients get to their ultimate diagnosis and getting them on the proper treatment pathways. This July I would like to recognize all of the special birthdays in my family, including HCMA Center of Excellence coordinator, Stacey Titus-brown and my daughter Rebecca Salberg. It's a milestone birthday for Becca - it’s hard to believe I have a 30-year-old child. Wishing you all a happy and healthy summer. Go build some memories!
By Sabrina Cuddy July 3, 2025
By Erica Friedman June 26, 2025
Investigative journalists Debbie Cenziper, Megan Rose, Brandon Roberts and Irena Hwang from Pro Publica and NPR have concluded a 14-month long investigation into the quality of generic drugs coming into the United States from overseas. Among the many voices that spoke up for American patients was HCMA Founder and CEO, Lisa Salberg who has felt the effects of low-quality drugs personally. Salberg believes that fixing this problem is something we can do, even in this time, when even health care is highly politicized. Read the key takeaways from ProPublica’s 14-month investigation into the FDA’s oversight of foreign drugmakers in Threat in Your Medicine Cabinet: The FDA’s Gamble on America’s Drugs .
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