Mobility and Exercise.
Recovery after heart surgery or valve replacement can take a while. Before starting any exercise routine make sure you consult with your cardiologist and physical therapist to put together a regimen of exercises to help with the healing process. Bed rest is important of course but equally important is getting your body moving no matter how small the routine.
My first recommendation is to go to the Cardiac Rehabilitation facility at your local hospital (assuming they have one). If not then discuss with the doctors and nurses at the hospital what they would recommend from an exercise perspective. Walking is the easiest thing to start with of course and even though you may be upset or frustrated at not being able to do all the things you used to do, in most cases it’s only temporary. At my age, 68, I walk and exercise far more than I have ever done in my life. I am doing everything in my power with diet and exercise to make sure that I never end up in hospital again.
The joke in our house was that the last time I went to a gym was when I was 18 to pick up my girlfriend. I hated the idea of a formal workout but am now used to the routine and look forward to working out every day whether it’s at our local AnyTime Fitness club or just a walk in the park. I would recommend purchasing a FitBit or Garmin monitor to be able to check your progress each day as well as your heart rate. I started rehab 4 weeks after surgery (due to some minor complications) and bought my FitBit at the same time. My progress was as follows:
1st Week 30,409 steps
4th Week 48,559
8th Week 55,873
12th Week 67,734
I am now averaging between 55 to 70,000 a week, so the exercise has definitely played a significant role in my recovery.
GETTING STARTED.
Step 1
The key to getting back to normal is to start moving early. While still in the hospital, you'll be encouraged to do light supervised exercise. The Texas Heart Institute says that you can expect to be in the hospital for about a week, with the first one to three days in the intensive care unit. After leaving intensive care, the hospital staff will normally help you start walking up and down the halls to improve your circulation. Once you get home getting out of bed is the first important step!
Step 2
Begin cardiac rehabilitation. After leaving the hospital, most heart bypass patients are enrolled in a physician-supervised program of cardiac rehabilitation. This rehab will include supervised and closely monitored exercise. I found it invaluable meeting other people there who had gone through the same procedures as I had. Watching them improve their exercise day by day was a great motivation for me to do the same. The goals of cardiac rehab are to help you regain strength after the bypass operation, prevent your condition from worsening and reduce your risk of future health problems.
Step 3
Walk, walk, walk! The Society of Thoracic Surgeons, or STS, states that walking is the best form of exercise after a heart bypass because it increases circulation throughout the body and to the heart muscle. About a week after surgery, you should be well enough to get outdoors for walking. Walk at your own pace and increase the speed and distance gradually. If the outdoor temperature is lower than 40 degrees or higher that 80 degrees, the STS suggests taking your walk to an indoor shopping mall.
Step 4
Climb stairs. You've probably already started gingerly maneuvering steps to get around and function in your daily life. Unless your doctor tells you differently, you should add stair climbing to your exercise routine a few weeks after surgery. Begin by climbing small-height steps and gradually move to larger ones. When using the handrail, don't pull yourself up with your arms. Instead, you should use your legs to move your body up the steps.
Step 5
Avoid lifting anything heavy. Picking up anything heavier than 10 pounds will be strongly discouraged by your medical team for the first six weeks after surgery. This includes carrying children, groceries, suitcases, mowing the lawn, making the bed and moving furniture.
Step 6
Add light aerobics, housework and gardening about six weeks after surgery. You may want to sign up for a low-impact aerobics class, says Horwitz. The STS states that heavy housework, such as vacuuming and doing laundry, and moderately strenuous gardening are fine now. Additionally, walking your dog on a leash is good exercise at this point in your recovery.
Step 7
Resume normal activities. About three months after your heart bypass operation, most types of exercise will be allowed, according to the STS. With your doctor's ok, you will be able to participate in sports and recreational activities such as soccer, football, baseball, tennis, swimming, golf and motorcycle riding. Heavy housework and strenuous gardening, like shoveling and digging, will also be allowed. Increase all activities gradually until you feel strong enough to return to a normal, active lifestyle.
WARNINGS
- Stop exercising if you experience shortness of breath, dizziness, leg cramping, unusual fatigue or chest pain. Notify your doctor if these symptoms continue. Listen to your body!
- Follow the instructions from your doctor and physical therapist. The closer you adhere to their instructions about how to exercise, the faster you'll recover and the better you'll feel following your heart surgery.
- Balance physical activity with plenty of rest. You may need to take naps during the day for the first few weeks after your heart bypass. Rest often during exercise if you feel tired and remember to drink lots of liquids.
