Recommended Exercises With a Bundle Branch Block
Cardiovascular DiseasesHeart Disease
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Recommended Exercises With a Bundle Branch Block

Recommended Exercises With a Bundle Branch Block
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Updated on August 28, 2025
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A bundle branch block is characterized by a delay or an obstruction to the electrical impulses that prompt the heart to beat. These blockages along the heart’s electrical pathway can occur in healthy people, according to Mayo Clinic, but they can also be a sign of an underlying cardiovascular problem.

Many people with a bundle branch block don’t even know they have it. But if you’re diagnosed with one, you may need to talk with a doctor before working out to make sure you don’t overstrain yourself.

Symptoms of Bundle Branch Block

There are two different types of bundle branch blocks: right and left. According to StatPearls, right bundle branch blocks are generally asymptomatic.

But if you do experience symptoms from a bundle branch block, Mayo Clinic notes that you may experience unpleasant side effects such as fainting, or the sensation that you are about to faint. You may also feel short of breath and have a slow heart rate.

These symptoms cause many people to shy away from exercising. Short-duration, low-intensity exercise should not exacerbate symptoms; however, always discuss your best exercise options with your cardiologist before beginning to work out.

Recommended Exercises When You Have a Bundle Branch Block

According to the National Institutes of Health, physical activity can make your heart stronger. Still, it’s important to talk with your doctor before starting any new exercise routine or resuming your usual workouts after being diagnosed with bundle branch block.

But once you’ve talked with your doctor and you’re cleared to work out, start by trying paced, low-intensity exercise. In general, avoid raising your heart rate above 180 beats per minute, which indicates you are working out at too high an intensity. Recommended low-intensity exercises for those with heart disease include:

  • Indoor cycling
  • Rowing
  • Ellipticals
  • Walking
  • Water aerobics

Always remember to stretch and warm up before working out, then do a cooldown afterward. Start by exercising for 15 minutes, four times per week, and slowly work yourself up to 30-minute sessions.

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Sylvia Klinger, DBA, MS, RD, CPT, is an internationally recognized nutrition expert who is relentlessly passionate about helping people fall in love with creating and enjoying delicious, safe, and nutritious foods.

As a food and nutrition communications professional, Dr. Klinger is a global nutrition professor, award-winning author, and the founder of Hispanic Food Communications.

She is on the board at Global Rise to build a formal community nutrition program as part of an ambitious initiative to create a regenerative food system in Uganda in partnership with tribal and community leaders. This program included an extensive training session on food safety and sanitation that displayed cultural sensitivity and various communication strategies and incentives to spread these important food safety and sanitation messages into the communities.

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Her latest book, The Little Book of Simple Eating, was published in 2018 in both Spanish and English.

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