My H had a HA and stents fitted just over 2 years ago aged 56. He has had no follow up whatsoever! He missed cardiac rehab because of the pandemic- just phone calls once a week for 6 weeks asking how he was feeling….He has seen a cardiologist privately and it was money well spent. He has been give the all clear to return to sport providing ofc he doesn’t overdo it!
The problem is how to get him back? Before the HA I hardly saw him. He played hockey at Masters level and locally for a team as well as coaching juniors and was out on the pitch several times a week. He has never been overweight and has managed to stay like that despite doing little activity for over two years apart from walking the dog on occasions. He has an active job though. He has a birthday coming up and I was thinking of buying him some private cardiac rehab face to face with a physio? Or is there such a thing as a personal trainer with knowledge of cardiac issues who could motivate him? His worry seems to be his heart rate went a bit crazy once when he was attempting to go for a jog rather than walk. It settled fairly quickly but I think it scared him.
Any advice welcome!
Written by
Dougal2011
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It’s very difficult to answer your post as it generates many other questions that maybe needed to be first answered.
Reading between the lines , are you sure your husband wants to return to his previous fitness level ? I think that he would have go down that route himself { with your support } if he did.
If he does , what are his main concerns ? And maybe those concerns can only be helped with therapy { as his private Cardiologist has deemed him fit }
If he doesn’t ,is he strong enough to say that ?
Heart problem can change everyones perspective on the life they want to live.
You really need to be having this conversation with him, personally I wouldn’t surprise him with a fitness coach as he may feel you are pushing him into it.
And all fully trained personnel trainer’s will have knowledge of the cardiovascular system, and if they don’t, then don’t book them.
You state that he has active job, maybe he feels that this enough for his body at the moment.
As you can see by reading back this post, it is full of ifs and buts, maybe and maybe nots, but that is how life works.
I can almost feel your love and worry for your husband as I read your post and I really wish that I could be of more help to you in excepting that this may or may not be the new normal for him { and you }
Thank you for your kind reply Blue1958. I missed out a bit of info! I offered to buy my H golf lessons for his birthday as he’s been trying a bit of golf with a friend. But he said that this is the year he wants to get back to playing hockey. I think I will try to find a good personal trainer who can help him get fit if , as you say, a good one should have some knowledge of the cardiovascular system.
I was diagnosed as needing an "urgent" bypass last October, symptoms started over a year ago. When I didn't know what was wrong with me I was trying to cycle as hard as I had always done but getting breathless too easily. Now that I know I have a problem I know to not do too much, I can feel early symptoms so ease off immediately. My heart rate monitor has been essential because I know I can manage 130 bpm and hence don't exceed this. I have been advised to "do what you can, nothing strenuous".
The best advice I has was that exercising was OK as long as I didn't go past the point of being able to hold a conversation with some one.I'm 7 months post angioplasty and feel fitter than I've felt for years, we dance quite a lot, before my HA I had to take a rest after say a Lindy Hop and sit out a dance out before the next one.....now I can do two or three on the "bounce" with no problem.
My local HA sorted out online rehab for me with mymhealth.com, it was very good and gave me lots of confidence in terms of how far I could push myself.
A physiotherapist from our Health Authority was brilliant, she issued me with a pulse/oximeter and after readings I had taken she issued me with a target heart rate and quite a lot of literature about exercising, she called me once a week and discussed what Id been doing and took note of all my readings.
Hi Dougal2011. Good to see you are helping where you can with the recovery journey for your husband. A shame that he has not had any rehab advice or experience as those of us who had this have undoubtedly benefitted from it. I subscribed to a gym based 'Phase 4' Rehab class after the hospital based rehab support came to an end and kept this up for 8 years until lockdowns disrupted gym openings. The physio who ran the class gave me some excellent advice and gym based exercise routines to improve my cardio vascular condition and muscle strength particularly for hill climbing and uphill mountain bike use that I wanted to get back to. After the first lockdown he started a Zoom Phase 4 class which I didn't join as we were about to move house and I subsequently found a gym where I could continue with the previous routines. He still runs this Zoom class and could be interested in providing one to one online advice or your husband may just wish to join the online class. You may want to contact him and check if this is any use to your husband. He is Martin Frost, based in Essex and on this address martinattickers@hotmail.com . Good luck to your husband on getting back to the hockey and coaching.
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