Stay Fit and Exercise

A couple of questions before getting your trainers on and running up the road….

Did you do any exercise prior to your heart trauma?

How much exercise did you do and how frequently?

We read about the stories of survivors of major heart surgery, who are up and about running marathons one year later, or the people who are playing 18 holes of golf 3 months later.

The ‘experts’ are quick to advise that you should be doing this and that as soon as you get out of hospital. Yes, they give you the heart manual to take home, which you are supposed to record all your activities in. The Manual is written with good intentions, however we are not all in the ‘average persons’ bracket and I believe that your recovery should be tailored to your individual need, rather than a one fit for all. The reasons for this statement are :

You may have other health issues that prevent you from exercising

You have lost the willpower to function, due to your recent shock of having a heart attack

You may think you know better than the hospital, as they don’t know you

You may experience pains when you try to walk around

You may be scared to try anything for fear of another attack

If you have any more suggestions, please let me know and I will add them here.

I am not a personal trainer, nor am I a doctor or any sort of medical practicioner, but all I can advise is based on my experiences of slowly getting fitter, taking my time while my muscles re-adjusted to the body’s demands. My father bought me a Pedometer and I have worn it ever since. It helped me and I would recommend it to anyone to help them too. I can supply you with one for around £5. A pedometer is a small monitor that records the number of steps that you take, whether around the house or in the street. It runs on batteries and clips to a belt round your waist. There are modern smartwatches and smart monitors which give you everything from blood pressure to heart rate, but thats a personal choice as to whether you use one. As for now and at the beginning of your changes to your lifestyle, I would advise on the basic pedometer to begin with.