Can i exercise with aortic aneurysm? my father is in his 70's and had a slight aortic aneurysm. he wants to start exercising in the gym, but i'm concerned it may be dangerous. are there any particular machines or exercises he should avoid?

Your : Your father should avoid activities that raise the blood pressure excessively. Heavy weight lifting should be avoided at all costs, and he should focus on light aerobic activity such as briskly walking on a treadmill. A good rule of thumb is to exercise just enough to break a light sweat while maintaining the ability to carry on a conversation. I would recommend that he have an exercise stress test with a cardiologist to assess his blood pressure response to exercise and to help develop an exercise prescription. Any chest, back or abdominal pain or pressure with exercise should be taken very seriously and prompt immediate medical attention.

Light exercise: Depends on the size and shape of aneurysm, generally light exercise should be ok. Heavy weight lifting is not recommended. He should consult with his vascular surgeon to get a more precise answer after review of ct scan.

Please exercise!: It is absolutely okay to exercise with an aortic aneurysm. The key is to control high blood pressure and quit smoking. Having said that, however, it probably makes common sense to avoid going into a boxing ring or playing tackle football, but there's unlikely a study that was ever conducted to answer that specific question. Consult a board certified vascular surgeon to discuss further.